


Love

by wybiegowritey



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Grishaverse Big Bang 2020, Love Triangles, M/M, Pining, The Half of It AU, but its not, kuwei cosplays as the guy from blues clues, kuwei pines for 20k words straight, unlike him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wybiegowritey/pseuds/wybiegowritey
Summary: Grade-A student Kuwei Yul-Bo struggles to keep him and his father afloat in a small town in California by grading papers and doing other people’s homework for twenty dollars each person. He’s confronted by rich (but shy) kid Wylan Van Eck to help him write a love letter to Arjun Bhakta--the deaf boy whose love for reading and photography is so profound, it takes a lot of people’s breath away.Kuwei agrees to help him, and he doesn’t expect becoming friends with Wylan, and he definitely doesn’t expect to fall for Arjun.
Relationships: Kuwei Yul-Bo/Original Male Character(s), Wylan Van Eck & Kuwei Yul-Bo, Wylan Van Eck/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 25
Collections: Grishaverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This was an absolute BLAST to write! I'm so fortunate that I got to work on this with my gang! I really could not have finished this if it wasn't for them. Thank you for reading!

A long, long time ago, a Greek philosopher had a theory that humans were created with four legs, four arms, and two heads. One day, Zeus struck each human with lightning, splitting them in half. Mortals then spent their whole lives trying to find their other half, trying to become whole again.

It is believed that  _ that _ is true love.

\---

On a cold morning in the small town of Belendt, California, the sun crept over the ocean and buildings, shining into the windows, reaching each bedroom. Birds chirped and sang, and Bo Yul-Bayur was already on a train to Ketterdam.

His son was probably still asleep--he usually left his son alone in the morning to get to work on time. They had a routine where they’d text each other everymorning to make sure the other hadn’t woken up late. By the looks of it, Kuwei would text him just about--

Kuwei jolted awake from the sound of his alarm blaring in his ear. He tore off the sheets and comforter, scrambling to get out of bed. He grabbed his phone, texted his father good morning, and then stumbled over to his closet. He grabbed whatever clothes his hands found first--a dark blue hoodie, a white shirt, and jeans.

His room was painted a light blue, and no posters or photos were hung. A whiteboard on his dresser leaned against the wall, with a list of checkboxes of his chores and what he’d already done. He grabbed the green marker and checked off what he’d done:

▢ Clean room

☑️My homework (AP Calc, ASL 3, AP Lit)

☑️Thomas C., Kendall H., and Eli D.’s History homework ($67)

☑️Ethan A. and Alex C.’s Chinese homework ($40)

☑️Nikolai L.’s math homework ($20)

▢ Dishes

_ I can’t wait for tomorrow, _ Kuwei thought, putting the cap back on the marker. Tomorrow was Friday, and on Fridays, he could take a break and leave everyone else’s homework to the next day, he could finally do his house chores. And actually get to hang out with his dad longer than four or five hours. 

Kuwei finished getting ready, shoving his books and folders into his backpack before sprinting down the four flights of stairs to his bike. As he mounted it, his phone buzzed--a text from his dad.

**ME:**

I’m awake. Good morning, Dad.

**DAD:**

Good morning! Have an amazing day, I love you.

**ME:** **  
** Love you, too.

He put his phone back in his pocket, secured his helmet, then rode off. He pedaled through his neighborhood and onto one of the small roads, biking past the small golf course, the series of small shops with graffiti on them, and over the bridge that overlooked the river. He rode up the steep hill leading to Belendt High School.

Someone threw something at him. It was a rock, and luckily it had only hit his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, stopping to see a pick up truck drive dangerously close to him, and the people in it were laughing. He sighed in annoyance--he’d been dealing with these people since he was a freshman.  _ Same old, same old. _

Kuwei made it to school ten minutes before the bell was supposed to ring. He locked his bike and made his way through the crowd, stopping at his first class of the day--ASL 3. At his school, there were three languages offered: Spanish, Chinese, and ASL. When he was choosing his back in sophomore year, he knew he didn’t want to take Spanish since that was what all the kids he hated took; he already spoke Chinese at home; so, he opted for ASL. Luckily, it was an interesting class for him, so he continued to take it for three years.

Students were already in their seats, talking up a storm. Only one of them wasn’t speaking to anyone--a kid, Kuwei was pretty sure, was named Wylan. No surprise there. He never talked to anyone, and only spoke up when he had to. Kuwei assumed that it was because he was rich and he didn’t want to talk to anyone who wasn’t of his status. Kuwei shook his head and sat down.

As soon as the bell rang, the teacher’s assistant walked into the classroom, and Kuwei had to force himself not to stare. Arjun Bhakta was one of the only deaf students in the entire school, and he mostly only graded the student’s papers and sometimes corrected the teacher on what he’s saying.

Arjun waved awkwardly to him, and Kuwei waved back, pulled out his notebook and pen, scribbled down the warm up of the day.  _ What is something you don’t normally tell or show others? _

Kuwei could think of a thousand things.  _ I’ve been doing Nikolai Lanstov’s homework for four years. I get paid to spend hours and hours on homework that isn’t even mine every night. My father and I barely see each other and we can barely pay the rent on time. _ Kuwei shouldn’t say those, though. It was either illegal or too personal. 

He looked at Arjun again, who was hunched over the table next to the teacher’s desk. His short, dark brown hair was styled up, and his brows were knitted together in what seemed like extreme focus. Kuwei always found himself wondering what Arjun could be doing there if he wasn’t grading papers, or what Arjun could be thinking at that point.  _ He must be thinking about how bad everyone does on their tests. _

Someone nudged his shoulder. Kuwei snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to see Alex C., who signed “H-W”. Kuwei reached into his backpack and took out her homework, along with whoever else’s homework he could pass out. His phone buzzed with the payment sent to his Venmo.

Alex signed,  _ Thank you _ , which looked like she was blowing a kiss to him. Kuwei nodded, then turned his attention back to the teacher, who was getting up from his desk. Kuwei quickly scrawled  _ I don’t tell a lot of people that I like cats. _ Total lie. He didn’t like cats that much.

The day went by normally. Kids didn’t give him the time of day unless they wanted their homework done over the weekend. He ignored and avoided everyone in the hallways, and he found himself in his last class of the day: band. 

He took band with the shy kid, Wylan. Wylan played the flute, and he played the trumpet. They were in different sections, but still near each other on the seating chart. Kuwei could tell that this was Wylan’s favorite class--in ASL and pretty much every subject other than chemistry, he was shy and didn’t talk to anyone unless someone said something to him. In band, though, he was more confident and more focused. It was a change worth noticing, but Kuwei didn’t care that much.

They were supposed to perform at the half-time show at the football game in a few weeks, so they’d been practicing and preparing for their performance. He waited for the flute players and the percussionists to stop so he could start with the trumpeters.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Wylan lean forward slightly, suddenly very interested in the trumpet players. He felt like the kid was watching  _ him _ . Kuwei stopped abruptly, flashing a look at Wylan, and the conductor stopped.

“Yul-Bo! Keep your eyes on the sheet music,” he scolded. Kuwei apologized quickly and then glared at Wylan, who sank in his seat. 

They played through the song again, and Kuwei didn’t feel like Wylan was watching him or anyone else after that, and the BHS band finished the song almost perfectly, if it wasn’t for the sax players. 

At the end of class, everyone cleaned their instruments, putting them in their cases and getting ready to leave. The teacher stopped everyone, telling them of the talent show happening in the spring, encouraging his students to participate. 

As Kuwei walked through the hallways, he spotted the sign up sheet. He quickly signed his name and got his bike.

Kuwei rode down the hill and over the bridge, and he could hear someone running behind him. It was probably someone from the track team, and he didn’t care. He pedaled onward.

“Hey! Kuwei!” someone shouted behind him. Kuwei rolled his eyes, pedaling toward his house as fast as he and the weight of his backpack could go. “Hey, wait up!”

“Five dollars for one page, ten for one to three pages, twenty for more than that,” Kuwei groaned as he put his foot down. Looking over his shoulder, he was expecting to see one of the guys on the track team who needed his history paper done. He was not expecting to see Wylan Van Eck panting and doubled over. “What do you want?”

“I don’t need my homework done,” Wylan wheezed. He handed an envelope to him. “I need help with this letter.”

“Who writes letters?”

“I thought it’d be romantic?”

Kuwei rolled his eyes, ripped the envelope open and read the top of the letter.  _ ‘Dear Arjun Bhakta’--nope, I don’t need to read any more of this. _ Kuwei gave the letter back to him and placed his hands on the handle bars. “Dude, you’re taking ASL with Arjun and I. I’m not helping you. Use a thesaurus. Good luck, Romeo.”

“Wait--!” Wylan sprinted to the front of the bike and put his hands on the bars, stopping Kuwei. “One letter.  _ Please _ . I’ll do whatever you want--I’ll even give you extra money. I’m not good with words, and I  _ know _ you are.”

“ _ No _ ,” Kuwei said forcefully, shoving Wylan out of his way before biking the rest of the way home.

This is not your typical love story. This is a love story, yes, but not one where people get what they want.

Kuwei locked his bike on the sidewalk and trekked up the four flights of stairs, already thinking of whose homework needed to be done. He unlocked the front door and immediately kicked off his shoes. He went to his room and took off his backpack, erasing the whiteboard and writing new tasks.

▢ Clean room

▢ My homework (AP Govt., AP Chem, ASL 3)

▢ Emanuel M.’s Geography homework ($10)

▢ Nikolai L.’s chemistry homework ($35)

▢ Elizabeth H. and Faustin E.’s Spanish homework ($50)

▢ Dishes

▢ Laundry

Kuwei sighed, rubbing his eyes. He was so exhausted from the day, but he still had his stupid chores and more stupid homework. He groaned, shoving all his dirty clothes in a bin and making sure his desk space was cleaned up. As soon as he was done cleaning the dishes and putting them away, he heard the front door open and his father take off his own shoes, walking into the living room.

“How was your day today?” Bo asked in Mandarin. 

“Good,” Kuwei replied. “How was yours?”

“Ah…” Bo shrugged. “The same.”

His father taught high school chemistry in the city, taking two hours by train in the morning to get to Ketterdam, an hour and a half to get home. According to his father, the high schoolers in Ketterdam were worse than the ones in Belendt. Kuwei didn’t think so, but then again, he’s never met anyone from Ketterdam.

After his father changed into more comfortable clothes, they cooked dinner together, making hunan chicken. They sat down together, put on  _ Casablanca _ , and that was when Kuwei could finally relax.

Towards the end of the movie, the lights flickered, and Kuwei frowned. He turned to his father and, in Mandarin, asked “Did you call the power company?”

Bo sighed. “I did that yesterday, but they couldn’t understand my accent over the phone.”

Kuwei groaned in annoyance. The power company always did this. His father had a thick Chinese accent, but he was still understandable. It pissed Kuwei off more than it did his father, mainly because  _ he _ had to call them and ask for an extension since he didn’t have a Chinese accent when he spoke English.

“I’ll call them in the morning, okay?” he said. His father nodded, and they continued eating their dinner in silence.

That night, Kuwei marked off the chores he’d finished, and got to work on his classmate’s homework and papers. He finished them at two in the morning, shoving the work in his backpack. He fell asleep with the thought of Arjun Bhakta on his mind.


	2. The Letter

The next morning, as Kuwei was getting ready, he was on the phone with the power company. He walked down the stairs from his apartment when his service stopped working and he accidentally hung up on the woman he was speaking to. Shit.

He mounted his bike and dialed the number again. It rang three times. “Hi, my name is Kuwei Yul-Bo. I--”

“I’m sorry, you’re cutting out. Can you repeat that, please?”

“My name is Kuwei Yul-Bo. I live in apartment 403,” Kuwei said, biking past the shops and restaurants. 

“I’m sorry, I cannot hear you,” the man on the phone said. Kuwei sighed in annoyance.

“Kuwei Yul-Bo. Apartment 403. Power bill.  _ Extension _ .”

The man hung up on him. Kuwei groaned and rode to school, locking his bike when he got there. When he walked into ASL 3, he spotted Wylan almost immediately. The guy’s eyes lit up, and Kuwei shot a menacing glance at Wylan.

Throughout his classes, Kuwei was impatiently tapping his foot, constantly checking his phone for a voicemail, and for once he wasn’t happy when he saw a notification from Venmo. When lunch started, he was relieved he could finally make the call without interruption. He walked through the halls, making his way to the back of the school, where he could eat in privacy without distraction.

He was dialing the number, trying to keep all his binders and work in order when he ran into someone, and all his paperwork and his phone fell to the floor. He cursed under his breath, bending down to clean it up. Someone else had joined him, and he looked up to see Arjun Bhakta, picking up his papers. Kuwei startled, and Arjun only smiled at him. Something about his smile made Kuwei’s heart skip a beat.

“These hallways are brutal, aren’t they?” Arjun signed, and Kuwei nodded dumbly. “I keep my hearing aids off when I walk here. Too loud for me.”

“I’m sorry it’s loud,” Kuwei signed back, circling his palm over his chest. Arjun furrowed his brows in confusion, but then he sucked in a breath as if just figured an equation out.

“That’s  _ please _ ,” Arjun corrected, mimicking what Kuwei signed. He then circled his fist above his chest. “This is  _ sorry _ .”

Kuwei nodded again. Arjun put the papers and folders back into Kuwei’s hands, and waved a goodbye before continuing down the hallway. Kuwei lifted the phone back to his ear, and cursed at himself.  _ The one chance you get to talk to him and you fuck up? Seriously, Kuwei? _

He snapped his attention back to the phone, dialed the number, and sighed. “Hi, my name is Kuwei Yul-Bo from apartment 403. I need an extension on the power bill.”

“Ah, yes, Mr. Yul-Bo,” the voice over the phone said. He heard a keyboard clacking. “You’re late by two months on the bill. If we do not receive a minimum of fifty dollars by tomorrow, we are forced to terminate your power.”

Kuwei almost dropped his phone. He  _ could _ pay for that, but that would mean he wouldn’t be able to get groceries for him and his father tomorrow. Or get his laundry done. He thanked the company and turned the corner, bumping into another student, and his day only got worse. He bumped into Wylan Van Eck. He started to ask about the letter again, and Kuwei shushed him. 

“ _ One _ letter. Fifty dollars,” Kuwei said sternly. “After that, you’re on your own.”

“Deal!” Wylan said ecstatically. “Meet me at the co-op after school?”

“Sure, wherever,” Kuwei said. He pushed past Wylan and continued on with his day.

The co-op was the park area of a nursery school that was open to the public when no one was working there. Kuwei guessed that the toddlers had the school week off. He rode his bike over the bridge, and instead of turning left to go to his apartment, he turned right, pedaling down the road to the co-op. 

Kuwei slowed as soon as he passed the line of trees that surrounded the co-op, locking his bike. Surrounding the park was a high, wooden fence. Above the gate read the words BELENDT NURSERY SCHOOL. He unlatched the gate and stepped inside the park.

Kuwei used to go to the co-op when he was a kid--his father took him here twice, and only twice, and both times Kuwei loved it. He loved the tire swing that twirled around and made you so dizzy you didn’t know what was up or down. He loved the normal swings that took you into space, he loved the tree-house with the dome that made it seem like you were a scientist in a laboratory. He loved the giant stone snake that was painted green, hidden in the sand, surrounding the stone snail. 

That was before his mom died, though. He never came back after that, it made his father too sad. Kuwei shoved the thought out of his head and walked to sit down on one of the normal swings, his feet sinking into the sand with every step _. _

After a few minutes of waiting, Kuwei heard a car pull up and park in the driveway. He twisted around to see Wylan get out of his car and wave at him before entering the park. He took a seat on the other swing, dug through his backpack and handed the paper to Kuwei. He opened the letter and read it in full. 

_ Dear Arjun Bhakta, _

_ I think you’re really handsome. You’re also really nice and smart, and it’s hard finding all those things in one guy.  _ _ It’s really good that you’re into guys, too. _

_ About me… I have a sister, but we’re half siblings. She’s annoying, but cool. I really enjoy milkshakes at Specht’s Diner, but I wish they had more fishy options since I’m pescetarian.  _

_ Do you want to go to the diner with me sometime? I work at the convenience store and I share my dad’s car sometimes. Let me know whenever. _

_ From, _

_ Wylan Van Eck _

“So… what you’re saying is… you’re in love with him?” Kuwei guessed slowly. Wylan nodded, and Kuwei shook his head. “You can’t spell for shit.”

“I know,” Wylan stammered. “That’s why I wanted help.”

“This letter is horrible, too,” Kuwei muttered. “Does your dad know you’re gay?”

“No.”

Kuwei scoffed. “Can’t wait to hear about  _ that _ conversation. How do you know that Arjun’s gay?”

“He was in the newspaper this month,” Wylan explained. “They interviewed him because he’s a queer person of color with a disability.”

Kuwei remembered seeing that issue when he was biking past the grocery store two weeks ago, but Kuwei was too busy to really stop and read the whole thing. “Have you ever talked with him?”

“No."

“Then how do you even know you’re in love with him?”

Wylan’s brows furrowed, tucking a curl behind his ear. He shrugged slightly, and said, “He’s all I really think about. I wake up and I think about him, I’m playing the flute and I think about him, I drive and I think about him. I’m in AP Chem and he’s on my mind. My heart beats really fast when I see him, and whenever he acknowledges me, my face goes red.”

“That’s not love,” Kuwei said. “That’s a borderline stalker.”

“It is love!” Wylan protested. 

“No, it’s not!”

“Have  _ you _ ever been in love?”

Kuwei had just about had it. He crumpled the letter up and threw it at Wylan, putting his backpack on and walking to the gate. He didn’t need or want some white kid telling him what love was.

“Wait!” Wylan said, jumping out of the swing and running to him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Just…  _ please _ . I need help with this.”

Kuwei cocked a brow at him, took the letter back, and read over it again. He shoved it in his backpack and said, “You want a letter about love? I’ll show you what love is. I’ll give it back to you on Monday.”

“Thank you,” Wylan stammered. “You’re too kind.”

“As long as you Venmo me,” Kuwei said, unlocking his bike and mounting it. Wylan waved goodbye at him, and Kuwei just nodded. He left him at the park, and felt his phone buzz with, hopefully, a notification from Venmo.

Later that night, after Kuwei finished his dinner, the stupid letter troubled him. How was he supposed to write this as Wylan? What should he say? Who writes letters these days?

_ Dear Arjun Bhakta, …  _ What?

He heard a loud snore, and looked up to see his father’s chin dipping down, a half-folded blanket over his legs. Even though he knew this already, it sometimes shocked Kuwei how much he looked like his dad. The only real difference was their eye color; Bo had a soft russet brown, whereas Kuwei--as his dad told him--had amber eyes that were sharp and shone like gold. Kuwei liked to think that that is what he got from his mother.

_ Arjun’s eyes are cognac brown, _ Kuwei thought, remembering the run-in he had with him.  _ Arjun’s eyes hold mysteries and jewels and--Oh, that’s good. _

He carefully wrote down some of his thoughts, those thoughts turning into a page of words. His eyes scanned the page, and he took what he liked and rewrote it.

_ Dear Arjun Bhakta, _

_ I’m not sure how to start this letter, so I’m going to start with something random: _

_ Did you know that your eyes are extremely pretty? They’re like the crystals I see in the shop window down on Pine Street.  _

_ From, _

_ Wylan Van Eck _

He folded it carefully and sealed it in an envelope, carefully putting it back on his desk.

Going back into the tiny living room, he took the other half of the blanket and lifted it to his father’s shoulders. When Kuwei’s mom was alive, Bo always had the energy for Kuwei’s antics; no matter how exhausted he was, no matter how many hours he spent grading papers, he always had a little extra energy for Kuwei. But after she died, the only extra energy he had was to make dinner with him, maybe go biking with him on the weekends.

Kuwei had to grow up sooner than his other classmates did, and he guessed that was both a blessing and a curse. He was more aware of things around him and more practical, but he sometimes wanted to experience normal, teenage things he’d see his peers do.

Kuwei didn’t have time to think about those things right now. He double checked the door was locked, took his and his father’s plates to the kitchen to soak in the sink overnight, and turned off all the lights. He  dusted off his piano, making a mental note that he had to start practicing for that talent show. Then, he went to his room and looked out the window. His bedroom faced the pier, where he could watch the waves rise and fall each day. Sometimes, if there was a storm, or if there were particularly high tides, the waves would crash over the bars that kept pedestrians from falling onto the rocks. He loved listening to the water ebb and flow.

He closed his eyes, listening to the rush of the ocean. He felt his muscles relax, and he imagined leaving Belendt, leaving this stupid country, and going somewhere else. He imagined visiting China, specifically his father’s hometown of Guangzhao; visiting Thailand to learn more about his mom. But he couldn’t. His father took him here to have a better life in America, and they could barely afford to live in their apartment. He could dream. That’s what he always did.

The waves lulled Kuwei to sleep.

***

On Monday, Kuwei handed the letter to Wylan before school, and left it at that. It was only supposed to be one letter, and Kuwei was not about to do a whole slew of it. Eventually, Arjun would fall in love with Wylan and he’d never have to think about it.

Except, that’s not what happened.

A few days later, Kuwei was riding his bike home when Wylan stopped him on the bridge. Kuwei put his foot down and turned to the redhead, but before he could even open his mouth, Wylan handed him a piece of paper, panting, “He wrote back.”

Kuwei opened the letter and read the contents. In slanted writing, Arjun wrote:

_ I think your eyes are as blue as the sea when the sun sets. _

_ \- Arjun B. _

“That’s romantic,” Kuwei said. He had the strange urge to write another letter, but he had only agreed to one. One was enough. But that urge… “We’re still in the game.”

“ _ We _ ?” Wylan asked. “I thought you said--”

“I know what I said,” Kuwei interrupted. “I’ll do another one, but only one more.”

“As long as I Venmo you?” Wylan asked, quoting what he had said a week ago.

“As long as you Venmo me.”


	3. The Only Exception

When Arjun opened his locker a week and a half ago, he didn’t expect a letter to fall out. Especially not one from Wylan. He was quite enamored by what he had to say, but he was half expecting that Wylan wouldn’t respond when he wrote back.

He opened his locker at lunch to find another letter addressed to him, and he couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to be noticed, to know that someone liked him like this. He ate his lunch and headed over to the library, tearing the envelope open.

_ To Arjun, _

_ Okay, that letter is kinda hard to beat, honestly. How about I tell you about me? _

_ Sometimes I find myself hiding behind people’s words. I know absolutely nothing about love. I’m 17 and I’ve lived in the shit town Belendt all my life. I don’t really have “friends”, but I hang out with my sister sometimes. We play music together. I tend to keep my head down, though. _

_ I don’t really know where I’m going with this. All I know is that if I DID know what love was, I’d probably quote myself. So… that’s me. What about you? _

_ From, _

_ Wylan _

Arjun smiled at the letter, admiring Wylan’s loopy handwriting. His penmanship was light, with some scratched out words. He folded it and tucked it into his binder’s folder, and looked at the blank piece of paper in front of him. What should he say back? What could they talk about?

He glanced around the library. There were eight tables, his classmates either studying or reading a book, and he was sitting at one of them alone. According to everyone else, the chairs were extremely old and made a creaking sound whenever you sat down, but he usually turned off his hearing aids, so he never really noticed.

Arjun took off his hearing aids, turned them on, and placed them back on his ears. He smiled when he heard the soft sound of paper shuffling, some friends speaking in hushed voices, the startling clack of someone typing up their essay.

When he’d first gotten his hearing aids, it was shocking--it took a few minutes to process, but when he looked at his parents and heard their voices for the first time, he’d immediately started sobbing. Every day after that, he logged what sounds had made him cringe and what relaxed him.

Arjun loved the sound his shoes made when they crunched on leaves and twigs in the fall. He loved the sound of his own heartbeat. When a bee buzzed in his ear, he’d jumped, but he loved that sound. 

He hated the sound of silverware on dishes, though. And the sound of a vacuum. He also freaked out the first time he heard a motorcycle drive by his house at breakneck speed. Another noise that he absolutely hated was the sound of his classmates when he walked in the halls. 

Teenagers really liked to gossip, he’d realized that first week of having them on most of the time. He’d known that from watching movies with his sisters as a kid, but he’d never realized how  _ much _ they liked it. During that first week of being able to hear, he’d heard unspeakable things about his classmates, about Wylan Van Eck, about Kuwei--another quiet guy, but dedicated--and about him. He’d learned to turn his aids off in the halls.

He looked at the blank piece of paper, picked up his pen, and began to write.

_ Wylan, _

_ You know, this is kind of weird. I’m sitting in the library right now, where it’s supposed to be silent, but I have my hearing aids on and I can hear people whispering. Isn’t it supposed to be quiet? You hearing people really like to talk. _

_ But you’re different. You’re quiet, I know you don’t talk to other students in our classes, because I’ve seen you. You’re an observer, like me, right? _

_ Not a whole lot of people talk to me. They only do if they’re practicing ASL (which, half the time, they get it wrong. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose :/). I only really feel like I’m important when I’m correcting Mr. Kostyk in class or grading his papers. No one talks to me verbally, and it sucks. I guess I talk weirdly, but vowels and consonants are hard to pronounce sometimes, especially when you don’t speak verbally much. _

What was he writing? Some weird, depressing life story? Arjun didn’t know, and he didn’t know if he really cared what he wrote. He guessed that if Wylan wanted to talk to him, he might as well open up.

_ So, why are you writing these letters to me, Wylan? To try and get a good grade in ASL? To make fun of me? Or. . . _

Arjun didn’t know how to continue the letter. He signed his name, folded the paper, and stuck it in his pocket. He turned off his hearing aids as he went to his next class, turned them back on for the lesson, and went about his day. 

When Arjun got home--which was for him a small apartment above the Indian restaurant his parents owned--he kicked off his shoes by the door and went straight to his room, not bothering to say hello to his sisters. He placed his backpack on his bed, placed his letter on his dark wood desk, and dug through his desk drawer for an envelope. After finding what he was looking for, he sealed the letter, and tucked it into his binder.

He checked his watch.  _ Shit, I’m almost late for work. _

He ran across his room to his closet, grabbing his work uniform--a bright orange shirt tucked into blue jeans--and was quick to change. He stopped by the hallway mirror, fixed his hair, and ran down the stairs.

“Sorry, maa,” Arjun said awkwardly as he entered the restaurant. His mother looked up from her spot behind the register and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She smiled at him.

“Arjun,” she said, but it was muffled for him. She signed back to him, “Get started in the kitchen, please.” 

Arjun nodded, already opening the wooden door. The aroma of kesari bhaat hit his nose, and his stomach growled. Kesari bhaat was an extremely rich dessert with roasted cashews and raisins mixed together. It was his favorite food.

“Hey, baba,” he said out loud. He grabbed his apron off the coat rack, putting it on and tying it around his waist. 

His father’s head turned over his shoulder, and a small grin spread across his face. He stopped cooking and turned to face him fully. “Arjun!” he exclaimed, his fingers eager. “How was your day?”

“It was  _ great _ ,” Arjun said with an eye roll.

“What happened?”

“Classmates are annoying,” Arjun replied. He wanted to mention Wylan’s letter, but he didn’t think now was the right time. “As usual.”

His father shook his head. “Okay, let’s get started on working tonight. We have a reservation for eight people.”

Arjun nodded. His father was really good at keeping his mind off of the bad or annoying parts of the day, usually by tasking him in the kitchen. Arjun loved cooking with his father. He spent the rest of the night cooking, but no matter who entered or how busy it got, he never stopped thinking about Wylan and his letter.

The next day, Arjun stuck the letter inside Wylan’s locker.

***

A few days later, Arjun opened his locker, not shocked to find another letter fall to the floor. He grabbed it quickly, stuffing it in his binder. The restaurant would be closed today, and he wanted to read this letter at home, really have an evening to think about what Wylan would say, and what he’d say back.

As soon as the bell rang, he was already off campus before anyone else. He got home in no time, running to his room to rip open the envelope. He was relieved to see Wylan’s beautiful, loopy script.

_ Arjun, _

_ I feel the same way. Not a lot of people talk to me, and I can’t exactly hold up a conversation either. I’m rich, and sometimes I feel like people only talk to me to try getting money from me. _

_ I’m a simple guy, really. I like playing the flute, I like drawing, I like taking ASL. I think it’s an interesting language, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to learn it. _

_ As for your question, I want to be your friend. I think you’re a really smart guy, and I want to get to know you. I’ve never had any friends, and you’re not like the other people who just want my family’s money. _

_ - _

_ Wylan _

Arjun tapped his finger to the paper, unsure of how to write back. His fingertips slowly caressed the script, every stroke of the pen. He had to think carefully about his next letter. What did he want to tell Wylan this time?

He looked around the room, his gaze falling on the stack of medical textbooks he’d gotten from the town’s library. They had diagrams of the heart, the hearing system, and so many interesting things about the body. He dreamed of becoming a doctor, to help work on better hearing aids for deaf and hard of hearing people. He also wanted to make sure other deaf people had a doctor they could talk to, instead of having to wait on a translator to tell them what was wrong with them.

He grabbed his pen and pulled out a piece of paper.

_ Did you know that it takes 12 muscles to smile, and 11 for a small frown? _

_ That’s why it’s just as easy to smile as it is to frown. When I started studying about the human body, I learned that, and it’s also when I started watching people and how much they smile and frown. I found that I often frown, so I opted to smile more. _

_ I’m also interested in photography, but I gave it up a couple years ago. I remember reading about famous photographers once, and this one photographer, Aaron Siskind, said,  _ _ “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” _

_ And I really, really vibe with that. I think that everything should be in a photo--it shows us, the real us, and it shows others what I see. _

Arjun put the letter back inside his backpack.

***

On Monday, after dropping off his letter, Arjun was grabbing books out of his locker when he overheard two girls gossiping. He heard some mentions of Wylan, and he craned his neck to hear better.

“You know, Wylan’s family owns, like, half the businesses in Belendt,” one girl said. She had blonde streaks in her otherwise dark hair, making it look like she had a bad dye job. “It’s shocking that he’s such a loner, he could really get some friends if he paid the right price, am I right?”

“Yeah,” the other, a brunette giggled. “He could probably get a lot of--”

Arjun turned his head away, annoyed. He did not want to hear someone bad mouthing someone else he admired, especially about what they should do with their money. He thought it was badass of Wylan to not flaunt about being rich. It made him seem like he was in check with reality.

When he closed his locker, the girls were still gossiping about Wylan, but he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see Kuwei on the other side of the girls, his gaze like daggers.  _ Why does he look so angry? _ Arjun looked back at the girls, and then he saw why.

“Did you know Wylan has dyslexia?” the blonde-streaked girl asked. “Doesn’t he have to read and write in school?”

“He’s probably paying someone to do his homework for him.”

“Hah! At least that’s not as bad as--what’s his name--Arjun! He’s fucking  _ deaf _ in a school where we rely on hearing. How the hell does he accomplish that?”

“Probably--"

Arjun tapped the brunette’s shoulder. She turned, and the second she locked eyes with him, her face paled.

“I don’t think you should compare others’ disabilities,” he said. “Your ignorance is intolerable. My deafness and Wylan’s dyslexia are two completely different things, and we get through them in our own ways. You should try seeing things from our perspectives sometime.”

The girls didn’t say anything, just looked shocked and embarrassed. Arjun looked to see if Kuwei was watching, but he was gone. Disappointment spread through his core, and he suddenly felt very self conscious. He walked away from his locker, and took off his hearing aids. He did not feel like listening to his idiot classmates, he did not feel like talking to anyone today. Why was he so angry all of a sudden? The girls and their ableist comments? The way Kuwei even looked so offended? Kuwei disappearing when he stood up to someone for once?

Arjun didn’t know. He chose to ignore it, and went on with his day.

***

The next letter that appeared in Arjun’s locker was a set of coordinates with a single sentence:  _ Come by, if you want. _

What did that mean? The letter swirled around in Arjun’s mind as he waited for the slow school day to end. He got into his car, entered the coordinates into his phone, and followed them. He went onto the highway, and after almost missing the spot, he finally realized where Wylan was inviting him.

Part of the highway near Belendt was on a cliff. There was a small part of the cliff where you could park your car near a stone archway, cobblestone fence stopping you from falling over. From that spot on the cliff, you could see the entire town in all its shitty glory.

Arjun smiled. He could see the long curved hallway that was Belendt High School next to the football field. He saw the series of shops, interrupted by small roads in between them. He saw the pier, the apartments near it, and even his own house. To the far left, he saw the Van Eck mansion. It was large compared to most of the other buildings, but from up here, it looked tiny.

When he looked past the town, he could see the ocean. He saw the white caps swaying with the wind, the sky turn into an array of warm colors--pink, purple, deep orange, red--as the sun was starting to set. It was utterly beautiful.

_ Something like this deserves a picture, _ Arjun thought as his shoulder brushed something. He whipped around in shock, but realized he’d only bumped into a polaroid camera hanging off a jagged rock on the stone archway. There was a note attached to it.  _ Then maybe you should capture the moment before it becomes a memory. - W _

Arjun chuckled. He took the polaroid, brought it up to his eye, and instead of taking a picture of the sunset, he decided to snap a picture of the high school. He searched his things for a piece of tape and a pen. He taped the picture to the stone archway and placed the camera back on the jagged piece. On the back of the picture, he wrote:  _ Your turn. _

And that’s how things went on for a few months. Whenever Arjun could, he checked that spot, and he’d find a new picture with another note. Sometimes Wylan’s pictures would be a bug on the cobblestone fence. Other times they’d be of the pier. They always tried to one-up each other, and those pictures were hung on the stone archway and fence. They officially turned into their letters.

_ So THAT’S the memory you want to keep? _ Arjun read once. He couldn’t discern the picture Wylan had taken.  _ A BIRD in the SKY? _

_ It’s a cool bird!  _ Arjun wrote on his picture of the cliff. _ What was THAT? _   
  
_ A flower petal. I’m being bold. I dare YOU to be bold. _

Arjun laughed. He took the picture, aimed it at the sunset, and snapped a picture of gold.  _ Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe the same goes for boldness. _

***

One evening, the restaurant was closed, so it was the perfect time to bake a cake with his father. His mother’s birthday would be in a few days, and she was out buying groceries. He’d just gotten the cake batter in the oven when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

When he checked, it was a DM from Instagram. From  _ Wylan _ .

**thechemkid (Wylan V.E.)** : Hey, do you want to go get some milkshakes at Specht’s diner? :D 👉👈😳

_ That sounds like he’s asking me out on a date. _ Arjun started to reply, but he didn’t know what to say. He closed the conversation. Was Wylan really asking him out on a date? Or was he asking for… something else?

His phone buzzed again.

**thechemkid (Wylan V.E.):** Sorry, someone at work stole my phone!! Let’s talk on GhostMessenger. My username is @EtudeMoreLikeBigMood

Arjun furrowed his brows. He’d never heard of GhostMessenger. He liked the message, checked the app store, waited for it to download, and then made an account. After searching for Wylan’s handle, he stared at the blank bar where he was supposed to type his message.

What was he supposed to say? That he was flattered by the pictures they shared? That even if it was a prank Wylan’s coworker pulled, Arjun did like the idea of going to a diner with a friend? He thought it was time that he and Wylan actually hung out, even if it was just for a few hours.

  
**@TheDeafKid:** So, Specht’s diner?


	4. Diners and Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I forgot to mention this in my summary, but part of this chapter (and others) was sensitivity read by my good friend, angelawongart on tumblr! Thank you so much!!!

Wylan drove into the diner’s parking lot, unable to calm his nerves. After weeks of waiting, he was finally on a date with Arjun. Despite his excitement, he felt guilt--this wasn’t all him. He’d needed someone there to help him out, and he couldn’t help but feel like Kuwei should be there instead of him.  _ But Kuwei doesn’t like Arjun, _ Wylan reminded himself.  _ He made that clear. Why am I still feeling guilty? _

Wylan shoved his guilt aside. He had to try to seem okay--nothing could go wrong with this date. He was on the phone with Kuwei, who was rambling about Arjun and giving him tips. He put his phone up to his ear as he stepped out of the car.

“Okay, and if he mentions something about historical fiction, he’s probably talking about  _ The Nightingale _ or  _ Salt to the Sea _ ,” Kuwei was saying. “They’re set in the same historical event, but completely different stories.  _ The Nightingale _ \--”

“Look, I know. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Keep me updated.”

“Will do. Thank you so much, by the way.” 

“Don’t thank me yet.” Kuwei hung up. Wylan sighed, put his phone in his back pocket, and walked inside. Specht’s Diner was a 1980’s themed restaurant with a jukebox at the very front. The floor was checkered, and on the walls they had black and white photos of the Grand Opening and the years after. Wylan loved this diner--he loved all things 80’s, from the music, to the neon signs, to the way the booth seats were designed. He couldn’t help but feel at home. Alys called him a nerd for it, but Wylan just thought he was born in the wrong year.

He put a couple cents in the juke box and queued some David Bowie songs, then grabbed a spot at a booth seat. Arjun walked in a few minutes later, and Wylan waved his arm to call him over. Arjun had a book in his hand, and he looked ungodly handsome--his outfit wasn’t too different from his normal attire, but something about seeing Arjun with neon lights shining on his face made him more attractive. 

Arjun sat across from him. They made small talk, and after they’d ordered, Arjun handed him a book. “I was up north for a book signing and I got two of the same copy,” Arjun said. “I thought you’d like it.”

Wylan looked down at the book cover, which had four pairs of shoes on concrete, and something about the ocean in the background.  _ What did Kuwei and Arjun even talk about? _ He plastered on a grin. “Thank you, Arjun.”

“Have you read it?”

“Uh, no, not yet,” Wylan said, trying to stop his hands from shaking. He was totally unprepared for this. “Um. I love… historical fiction. With all the… uh… death and stuff.”

Arjun’s eyebrows furrowed, and Wylan internally screamed at himself. Silence grew between them. The waitress came by with their drinks, and as soon as Wylan put his straw in his chocolate malt, he started downing it to try drinking his feelings away. 

“Uh… speaking of death,” Arjun said awkwardly. “Thanks for meeting me here. It feels good to know that someone wants to be friends with me.”

_ Friends _ , Wylan thought, slightly dejected.  _ It’s a start. _

“People avoid me,” Arjun continued. “It’s like I’m the plague.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Wylan said. He continued sipping on his malt. The rest of the night they just talked about random things that neither of them really knew or cared about. It was awkward.

When he got home, he told Kuwei what had happened, and Kuwei left him on read. He felt even more guilty, but he had to hope for the better.

***

The day after the date, Wylan had been trying to talk to Kuwei, but he had been ignoring him all day long. He didn’t know why he was ignoring him; the date went somewhat fine. Shouldn’t Kuwei be fine with that? He still wanted to be friends with Kuwei. He hoped that it didn’t just end there. 

After school, Wylan jogged next to Kuwei.

“Kuwei, come on!” Wylan panted. “It went okay!”

“Oh, my God,” Kuwei muttered angrily. It was the first time he’d spoken to Wylan all day. “From what you told me, it went  _ terribly _ ! Wylan, you and Arjun Bhakta are  _ not _ gonna happen!”

The words stung. He didn’t believe that Kuwei would give up on him just like that, but here he was, giving up. Kuwei pedaled faster, and Wylan tried sprinting, but his lungs were not having it. He stopped, wheezing. He watched Kuwei continue on without him.

A pick up truck drove by them slowly, stopping where Kuwei was. A boy stuck his head out, snickering, and Wylan watched as he threw a rock at Kuwei. Kuwei ducked out of the way and tried pedaling onward.

“Hey!” he shouted. Wylan watched as he reached into his car, then threw what seemed like a million papers at Kuwei. “Can you do my algebra homework? I mean, that’s all you’re good for, right?”

Kuwei’s shoulders bunched, but he didn’t say anything back. Wylan felt a rush of anger in his veins.  _ Kuwei shouldn’t be treated like that. _ He reached down to grab the largest rock he could find, ran to Kuwei’s side and threw it at the racist’s head. With a loud  _ crack _ , his head started bleeding.

“What the fuck was that for?” the guy shouted.

“You’re a fucking racist!” Wylan shouted back, jabbing a finger at him. “It’s what you deserve!”

“Oh, what, are you just defending him ‘cause he’s doing your math homework?” Wylan opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the racist kid. “I can’t believe the dyslexic kid is defending the Chinese kid who’ll do anything for the money.”

“So what--”

“Can you even spell the word  _ racist _ ?”

Another rock was thrown towards the kid, and this time it didn’t come from Wylan. He turned his head to see Kuwei, eyes filled with rage, staring at the asshole.

“You’ve been doing this shit to me for four years!” Kuwei seethed. “You’re a racist and ableist piece of shit who thrives on making others feel like shit. Maybe instead of insulting others based on their ethnicity and disability, you should try shoving a stick up your ass.”

That left the guy speechless. He got back in his car and drove off. Kuwei and Wylan looked at each other, and Wylan felt his face go red.

“Thanks,” Wylan said. “For defending me.”

“No, thank  _ you _ ,” Kuwei said. “No one’s ever stuck up for me before.”

Wylan hesitated for a second, and then said quietly, “Me neither.”

Kuwei and Wylan stood on the side of the road in silence, not knowing what to do. Kuwei sighed, then led them to the abandoned elementary school. Wylan had gone there when he was little, but the school closed down and moved to a different building across town when he was eight. It was small, built with bricks and had a wall of thick glass in one of the hallways separating the grade levels. 

They walked through the brick-walled hallways, and eventually found the only open classroom. Kuwei opened the door, let Wylan inside, and they both collapsed onto the nearest chairs. They were squeaky and almost collapsed under their weight, but they still held.

“God, it’s freezing in here,” Wylan complained. The only light source came from outside, and it shone on Kuwei’s face. Wylan’s never realized this before, but his eyes were a really gorgeous amber. “How did you get in this place?”

“I saw some of our classmates break in once,” Kuwei replied with a shrug. “I came back the next day to see which classroom they unlocked. Sometimes I come here after school to just… get away from everything.”

Wylan smiled at that. He never really had a physical sanctuary, so he’d learned to build one in the sheet music he’d read, in the notes he created and heard. It was something he thought everyone should have--a place where they could feel that they could be themselves, a place where they could be nothing and everything, everywhere and nowhere.

“I get that,” Wylan said, scrubbing the back of his neck.

“So, you have dyslexia?” Kuwei asked. Wylan nodded. “Does your dad do--”

“He likes to taunt me,” Wylan admitted. “He’s kind of an asshole about it.”

“Oh.” Kuwei said softly. “Well, if you have anything you need help with for spelling, let me know.”

Wylan stared at him. No one had ever offered to help him out with anything related to spelling. It felt good to know that someone had his back and was willing to help him like that, even if it was something small.

“Hey, could you text me your dad’s number, email, and full name?” Kuwei asked after a minute. “Oh, and your address.”

“Yeah,” Wylan said, pulling out his phone. He quickly typed his father’s information and sent it to him. “You aren’t gonna do anything weird, right?”

“No, I won’t,” Kuwei said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay--oh! I started reading that book,” Wylan said, changing the subject. Kuwei’s head snapped towards him. “The one Arjun gave me last night. It’s the audiobook version. It’s  _ Salt to the Sea _ . It gets a bit confusing sometimes, but hey, I get points for effort, right?”

“There are no points for effort,” Kuwei said with a laugh.

“Well, isn’t that what love is?” Wylan asked after a moment. “How much effort you put into loving someone?”

Kuwei was silent, thinking. He sighed. “Whatever love is, you blew it with Arjun Bhakta.”

As soon as he said that, Wylan’s phone buzzed. In the notification bar, there was a text from Arjun. Kuwei leaned over his shoulder to look. 

**ARJUN:**

So, that was… weird?

But really nice.

Wylan’s heart fluttered with excitement, and he looked back at Kuwei. He looked stunned, shocked, but something about the way his brow tilted told Wylan that he was intrigued. Wylan turned his full attention to Kuwei. 

“I can do this,” Wylan pleaded. “ _ We _ can do this.”

Kuwei’s eyes shifted between the floor and Wylan’s phone. He opened and closed his mouth, and eventually let out a short sigh. “Okay,” Kuwei agreed, confidence in his voice.

“I--I’ll pay you double,” Wylan stammered. Kuwei’s eyes widened. “It’s fine, I’ve got savings. I also work at the convenience store. You need--”

“You don’t have to pay me.”

“What?"

“I said, you don’t have to pay me,” Kuwei repeated. “You’re my… we’re partners in this. It’s fine.”

Wylan stared at Kuwei, and after a minute, nodded. Kuwei reached into his backpack for a sheet of paper, and started scribbling down some notes. Wylan leaned over to see what he was writing, but he couldn’t see from the way Kuwei was leaning over the paper.

“What are you writing?” Wylan asked.

“You want to date Arjun,” Kuwei stated. “But you don’t know that much about him. You need to become his ideal type--which, let’s face it, we’ve got a  _ lot _ of work to do on that part--” Kuwei turned the paper over to Wylan--“but we need to study Arjun and what he likes versus dislikes, his ideals--basically  _ everything _ .”

“What?”

“We’re getting Arjun to like you.”

With that, Kuwei and Wylan devised the beginnings of a plan. It took them the better part of an hour to plot it. Wylan left the building more confident than ever. Even if the plan didn’t work, he was happy to at least get to know him. 


	5. Secrets

The night Kuwei and Wylan came up with their plan, Kuwei had been texting Arjun, pretending to be Wylan.

**@TheDeafKid:** Why are you always up so late?

**@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** World’s asleep. 

I can think.

**@TheDeafKid:** Is it the hour of secrets?

**@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** Kinda.

**@TheDeafKid:** What secrets are you keeping?

Kuwei didn’t know how to respond.  _ This is something that Wylan should be doing, _ he thought with a pang of guilt.  _ Not me. _

But whenever Kuwei thought of stopping all this and letting Wylan take the reins, he felt a pang of jealousy. He didn’t know why, though. He shouldn’t be feeling jealous, he should be happy.

**@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** No secrets. 

I’m a good guy.

_ And you should be with a good guy, _ he thought but didn’t say. He put his phone down, sighing in frustration. He didn’t know why he felt so bad, but he did.

**@TheDeafKid:** Oooh, ominous. 

Unfortunately our hour of secrets is up; I need sleep.

gn

Kuwei set his feelings aside. He and Wylan were meeting up tomorrow--he had to get his head in the game.

**@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** Good night.

***

“Okay, so, you scored another date with Arjun,” Kuwei said to Wylan the next day. They were sitting in the abandoned classroom, a notebook between them with notes and tidbits on Arjun. “We only have three weeks to prepare.”

“Um, okay,” Wylan mumbled.

“We don’t have time to school you on everything Arjun  _ thinks _ you are,” Kuwei continued. “We have to be selective. Deep versus broad learning.”

“What?”

“Spy, talk to him, cram on the bigger things about him. Are you ready for this?”

“Yes, I am!” 

Kuwei started scribbling in his notebook. “So in  _ No Exit _ , three people are trapped in hell…”

As the days went on, Wylan was getting better and better at remembering all the things Arjun liked. Wylan would make small talk with Arjun during class, and they learned his favorite foods, his favorite color, and whether or not pineapple belonged on pizza (Arjun hated it and had a two-day debate with Wylan about it).

Wylan was also getting better at analyzing books and having conversations about them. Occasionally, he and Kuwei would butt heads about the meaning of the green light from  _ The Great Gatsby _ or what the light and dark really meant in  _ Sula _ .

After a week, Wylan and Kuwei turned the classroom into a hang out spot where they could do their homework together. Since it was constantly freezing, Wylan brought a heater in, so they huddled to it at almost all times. They eventually made a makeshift ping-pong table, where they learned how to play. Kuwei quickly found that Wylan was actually extremely funny. He often made horrible chemistry jokes whenever the time called for it, and once he started laughing, he never stopped. His laugh was more like a snort-turned-seal-bark.

Two weeks went by, and they were sitting in the abandoned classroom one late afternoon, reviewing their homework. Kuwei had just finished his own homework, and was about to start on Nikolai’s, when he noticed Wylan was struggling with his own work--at least, he guessed. His eyebrows were knitted together in frustration, and he was gnawing on his thumb so hard Kuwei was worried he might bleed. Kuwei leaned over. “Need help with anything?”

Wylan was hesitant. He kept opening and closing his mouth. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why Belendt?” The question was like a slap to the face. He must have looked offended, because Wylan’s cheeks went pink with embarrassment. “You just… seem so unhappy here. And your dad must be, too. So… why Belendt?”

“I gotta go.” Before the words were even out of his mouth, Kuwei shoved Nikolai’s homework in his backpack and stood up, ready to leave. He did not want to talk about his dad and why they were stuck in small town Belendt today, or any day. Especially with some white kid who would never understand.

Wylan got up with him. “Wait--”

“ _ No _ .”

“Kuwei, I just--”

“Why do  _ you _ stay in Belendt?” Kuwei shouted. Wylan’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s what I thought. See you tomorrow.”

Kuwei stepped out of the classroom, but Wylan ran after him. “My parents are divorced. I want to stay with my mom, but my dad keeps a stranglehold on the money,” Wylan admitted in a stutter. His voice was shaky and his words were rushed. “That’s why I work at the convenience store. I also stay here because my sister, Alys, is kind of...  _ naive _ . He manipulates her a lot, and I’m worried that it’ll get worse if I leave. It’s really either my sister’s heart or mine. So I stay.” 

Kuwei looked at Wylan, teary-eyed and sniffling. He looked around and stepped back inside the room, leaning against the wall. He sighed before putting down his bag. “My dad wanted to become a scientist and work at the California Institute of Tech,” he said. “We came to Belendt as a start, to get him used to life in America and hopefully get him a job in the city. He did get one, but it’s not...  _ ideal _ .”

“What is it?”

Kuwei was silent for a minute. “High school science teacher. Turns out having some degrees in chemistry and other sciences means you don’t get to work above a high school teacher status,” Kuwei said bitterly. “Or, at least, when you get those degrees from China and your English is considered  _ mediocre _ .”

Wylan stared at a spot on the ground. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” Wylan said.

“It’s not your fault,” Kuwei muttered. He checked his phone for the time. “Oh, shit, I  _ really _ gotta go. My dad and I are making szechuan beef tonight.”

Kuwei grabbed his backpack and heaved it over his shoulder, Wylan doing the same. They turned off the heater and made their way to Kuwei’s bike, and Kuwei watched Wylan start walking in the opposite direction, to his dad’s car. 

_ Don’t ask. _ But Kuwei knew what Wylan dealt with at home. He defended him and has done nothing but be kind to him. Kuwei guessed he should do the same.

“Wylan!” Kuwei called. Wylan turned to look at him, and before he could even open his mouth, Kuwei asked, “Wanna come over for dinner?”

Wylan’s mouth split into a toothy grin, and Kuwei found himself smiling back. He turned his bike around to catch up to Wylan, put his bike in the back seat, and joined Wylan at the front seats. They buckled their seatbelts and Wylan started playing David Bowie’s  _ Space Odyssey _ .

Wylan’s driving was okay, and they made it to Kuwei’s apartment complex safely. They climbed up the stairs, and Kuwei unlocked the door for Wylan. Luckily, his father wasn’t home yet, so he could get the kitchen somewhat prepped for dinner tonight. He texted his dad, and called for Wylan to help him get the kitchen prepared.

With Wylan’s help, it was faster to get the plates ready, stove ready, and get the food out. Bo walked in just five minutes after they’d finished.

“Hi,” Wylan said awkwardly. He extended his arm. “I’m Wylan.”

“I’m Bo.” They shook hands, and Bo’s brow lifted. “You’re Kuwei’s friend?”

“Yeah!” Wylan said proudly. “We have three classes together.”

“Oh, that’s great,” Bo said. An awkward silence filled the room. With slight shock, Kuwei realized this must be extremely weird for his father. He’d never had a friend before, let alone have one over at their house so abruptly. Not that he’d call Wylan a friend just yet, though.

“Have you ever had szechuan beef?” Kuwei asked Wylan, breaking the silence. His father took it as an opportunity to leave the room to change into more comfortable clothes.

“No,” Wylan said.

“Oh, you’re gonna love it,” Kuwei replied. “It’s spicy, but honestly you won’t even taste it.”

“I’ve never had spicy food,” Wylan replied nonchalantly.

“Oh, then you might like it.”

As soon as his father walked back into the living room, the three of them started making dinner. Wylan had never actually cooked dinner before, so it was more of a learning experience on his part. Kuwei thought it was fun, and hoped his father felt the same way.

When they sat down on the couch for dinner, Wylan and his father struck up a conversation, and Kuwei was relieved that they were getting along. The three of them started talking about chemistry and engineering, and Bo even gave the duo some tips on their homework. 

Unfortunately, Wylan did not like spicy foods. By the time he was done with his dinner, his face was red and he was chugging the milk. Kuwei would have to go to the store tomorrow.

After Wylan and Kuwei cleaned their plates and left them soaking in the sink, they walked to the sidewalk. Wylan got in his car.

“Is your dad gonna be mad?” Kuwei asked. “That you weren’t home for dinner.”

“No, he doesn’t care,” Wylan said with a half hearted smile. “I’ll see you at school.”

“See you later.” Kuwei watched Wylan drive down the street, and he smiled to himself. For the first time in what Kuwei would call  _ ever _ , he finally felt like he had a friend.


	6. Stubborn Love

Ever since Wylan met Kuwei’s father, he’d come over almost every afternoon with chemistry theories and equations. The three of them would occasionally run experiments, creating small explosions of liquids to make foam. Kuwei felt like he was actually having fun, but it didn’t stop the feeling of dread as the second date drew nearer and nearer.

***

The day before Wylan’s date, Kuwei was helping him have a conversation in sign language--Wylan’s sign language was mediocre at best, but over the last three weeks, he’d gotten better and better. They were sitting across from each other in the classroom.

“So, where were you born?” Kuwei asked.

“Belendt,” Wylan replied back, spelling the city. “What about you? Where did you grow up?”

“That’s _what_ , not _where_ ,” Kuwei said out loud, correcting him. “But other than that, good job.”

“Okay, thanks,” Wylan said. “But… is it okay to ask where were _you_ born?”

“I don’t need signing practice, but okay,” Kuwei said. Then, in sign language, he said, “I was born a little south of here. I came to this town when I was five. What do you like about Belendt?” 

“Oh, that’s cool,” Wylan replied. “Except for Belendt, I’ve never really been anywhere else.”

“Me neither.”

“What’s your favorite food?” 

“Braised pork over rice. You?”

“Honestly, taco sausages,” Wylan said. Kuwei raised a brow. He’d never heard of that before. “My neighbor, Ri, introduced me to them. You should try it.”

“No,” Kuwei said. Wylan opened his mouth to protest, but Kuwei cut him off. “What do you do in your spare time?”

“I practice the flute. I’ve been trying to get the University of Ketterdam to hear me play, but no one will respond to my emails or letters.”

Kuwei found that shocking. Wylan was extremely good at the flute--arguably the best in their band. It was clear he’d had years of experience, he was one of the richest people in Belendt, and the university didn’t want to hear him? He suspected it was because of Wylan’s dyslexia, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t respond. _Assholes_.

“Ketterdam University is overrated,” Kuwei reassured. “Anyways, let’s continue.”

“What was your mom like?” Wylan asked after a minute.

“Young, funny, _fun_ ,” he said as the memories came back at him, full force. His mother loved nature, loved to make jokes, and loved her family. She’d always sing a lullaby to Kuwei when he was upset, and would have dropped anything of hers for him and his father. Kuwei’s mother and father had a song that was their song-- _Somethin’ Stupid_ by Frank Sinatra. Sometimes he’d hear his father hum it. He tried snapping out of his thoughts. “What about your mom? What’s she like?”

“Kind, empathetic, witty,” Wylan said with a soft smile. Kuwei knew that smile. “I bet _she’d_ like taco sausages.”

“Oh, my God,” Kuwei said with a laugh. “You’re not persuading me to eat that!”

The rest of the afternoon they did their homework, shared jokes, and played ping pong. As the sun started to set, they headed to Wylan’s car.

“--And then Alys learned to play the harp,” Wylan was saying as he got inside. Kuwei got in the passenger’s seat. “We’ve been playing together ever since.”

“That’s cool,” Kuwei said. “Not to get off topic, but what do you like about Arjun?”

Wylan turned on the radio. “He’s handsome, smart, funny. He’s never mean. _Everything_. I don’t really know what else I could like about him. Why?”

Kuwei’s heart thumped against his ribs. He’d been feeling a lot of things about Arjun lately, especially about the current situation the three of them were in. He liked Arjun a lot; he never stopped thinking about him, but Kuwei didn’t understand why his heart would leap when he looked at him or bumped into him in the hallway. He loved that Arjun would look right into someone else’s eyes, never breaking contact. He loved that the corner of his mouth would quirk upward when he was studying anatomy textbooks. He loved that he could live in an ocean of Arjun’s words, and it felt like--

The realization dawned on Kuwei, and he felt his face blooming red. _Oh, shit,_ he thought. It all made sense now. The heart-thumps, his lingering gaze, the euphoria he felt when Arjun simply walked by. _I’m in love with Arjun Bhakta._

“Just wondering,” Kuwei said nervously. He turned his head to look outside, trying to ignore his feelings, but he’d been doing that for months now. _Arjun doesn’t like you. He likes Wylan._

Wylan drove Kuwei home in silence. As Kuwei walked inside, he had to get his mind off of things. Off of Arjun and Wylan. He sat down at the small piano in the living room, and practiced for the talent show.

***

The next evening, Kuwei was almost late for the date. He raced through the town to the diner, relieved to find Wylan still waiting for him in his car, nervously picking at his nails.

“I am _so_ sorry I’m late,” Kuwei almost shouted as he got into Wylan’s car. “I was practicing for the talent show. I’m super psyched but kind of nervous. Anyways, you remember what we practiced?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“He likes flirting with anatomy jokes. You’re not gonna know what’s going on--”

“Kuwei,” Wylan interrupted. “I’ll be fine. I won’t crash and burn. Thank you.”

 _He’s gonna crash and burn_. Kuwei watched as Wylan stepped out of his car, shut the door, and walked into the diner. Kuwei smiled, proud, but something else was tugging at the back of his mind. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he didn’t like it.

Wylan sat down in the booth, and a few minutes later, Arjun entered and sat across from him. Kuwei couldn’t read lips, and when they did sign he had trouble reading it from a side profile view--he thought he saw some signs for “fish”, “annoy”, and “fireplace”, but he couldn’t tell what was going on. From the way Arjun looked at the floor, it seemed like he was disappointed. Wylan was obviously having trouble keeping up the conversation. Kuwei _had_ to do something.

He pulled out his phone as quickly as possible, and went to GhostMessenger.

 **@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** I get nervous when I talk to you, you know. Sometimes texting is easier.

Arjun checked his phone, looked at Wylan, and then back at his phone. Wylan got his phone from his pocket and snuck a glance at Kuwei through the window.

**WYLAN:**

What are you doing??

**ME:**   
Look at your phone!! Don’t look at me!!

Kuwei’s phone buzzed again; a text notification from Arjun. He opened it.

 **@TheDeafKid:** Really? Why?

 **@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** …

 **@TheDeafKid:** …?

 **@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** …..

 **@TheDeafKid:** I’m just a guy.

 _You’re not just a guy,_ Kuwei typed, blushing. When he looked up, Arjun was grinning. But then Kuwei’s phone buzzed again, and he sighed in slight annoyance.

**WYLAN:**

WHAT. ARE. YOU. SAYING??????

**ME:**

LOOK. AT. YOUR. PHONE!!!!!!!!!!

Wylan complied, and Kuwei went back to the conversation with Arjun.

 **@TheDeafKid:** I’m not?

Then what are you?

 **@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** Also… not just a guy.

Kuwei looked up at the window, and his heart skipped a beat at Arjun’s smile. It was big, one side quirked up, almost like he’d been saving it for this one occasion, this one moment where he would talk to someone and truly speak his mind with someone who understood him. _How many of those smiles did I get when we were texting and I just didn’t know it?_

 **@TheDeafKid:** You’re strange. But cute.

 **@EtudeMoreLikeBigMood:** And you… have classic bone structure.

 **@TheDeafKid:** Thanks. <3

 _A heart_ . Was it a typo? Did he really mean that? He tried to type a response when Wylan put down his phone. Kuwei sucked in a breath, anticipation buzzing in the car. _What the hell is he doing?_

“Arjun,” Wylan signed. His face went red, and his hands shook slightly, but Kuwei could still understand from his view. “I like you. I _like_ you like you. I think you’re extremely kind, and smart, and funny, and I want to do more stuff like this. As boyfriends.”

Arjun put down his phone, and Kuwei felt like he hit a brick wall. He watched as Arjun replied, his fist knocking the air twice. It was the sign for “yes”.

 _Fuck_. Kuwei shut off his phone, putting it in his pocket. He opened the passenger’s side door, slid out, and shut it. Grabbing his bike from the rack on the sidewalk, he rode home by himself, his heart hurting with every thought of Arjun and Wylan.


	7. Tongue Tied

The next time Kuwei and Wylan hung out, they were at the thrift store getting newer clothes for Kuwei. He was shopping for an outfit to wear at the talent show. He currently had three pairs of jeans, one pair of cheap khakis, and four shirts in different colors hanging over his arm. He was still looking for more clothes.

“Oh, the University got back to me,” Wylan was saying as he was mindlessly following Kuwei. “They wanna hear me play! I don’t really know when, though. I’m supposed to submit a recording and they want to see me in person.”

“That’s awesome!” Kuwei said enthusiastically. “How did the date go?”

“It went fine,” Wylan said, his face pink. From the way his voice sounded, it was more than  _ fine _ . “We have to keep it a secret from my dad, though.”

“That sucks. What else happened?”

“Oh, um, Arjun had to go home early, and we walked to my car, and, uh… we kissed.”

“Oh, really?” Kuwei said, ignoring the stab of jealousy in his heart. He didn’t want his mood to drop, especially now, when his best friend was happy with the guy of their dreams. “How do you know that, like, he wants to be kissed?”

“Well, he gave me this  _ look _ . I don’t really know how to describe it. I asked him if he wanted to and he did, so… yeah. He’s visiting his grandparents in Oregon this weekend, so we’re going to go on an actual date after that.”

“Huh,” Kuwei huffed. He went over to the mirror to see how the light, faded green shirt would look with the khakis. He turned to Wylan. “How does this look?”

Wylan did a double take. “Oh, no no  _ no _ . Absolutely not,” he said, taking the shirt out of Kuwei’s hands and putting it back on the rack. “If Alys taught me anything, it’s how to dress. Go to the fitting room and we’ll find  _ the _ outfit for you.”

“And how does your dad  _ not _ know you’re gay?” Kuwei asked as they walked to the fitting room.

“Pure, dumb luck,” Wylan said.

“He must be a spatula in a tool shed.”

Wylan snorted. “Something like that. Oh! He’s been getting receding hairline ads, but as far as I know, he hasn’t signed up for anything. Did you do something?”

Kuwei winked as he stepped inside the room. “I neither confirm nor deny that.” 

***

The next evening, Kuwei sat by the piano, wearing a light blue polo tucked into a pair of dark brown khakis. The theatre was near the band room, and some of the students he saw walking by had their instruments.

He wiped his palms on his pants. He didn’t know how to calm his nerves. He felt like puking. A student told him he had a few minutes to go to the bathroom before he went up on stage. He took his chance,  his nerves growing the more time passed .

When he got back, Nikolai was just finishing his performance. The audience clapped and cheered as he got his piano ready. The curtains closed so that Kuwei could roll the piano on and get ready.

There wasn’t much cheering for him as the school’s principal announced his name, except for one whoop from Wylan. Kuwei felt the warmth of the spotlight on him, ignoring the urge to vomit, and started playing the beginning of Chopin’s  _ Fantaisie-impromptu _ in C-Sharp minor.

As the pace of the song started quickening, he hit a note, but it sounded more like the twang of a broken string. He began again, but hit the same broken note. Some of the students started snickering.  _ What the hell? _ Kuwei thought.  _ Who did this? _

His first thought was that guy in the pick-up truck from a few weeks ago. He then thought of Nikolai, but why would he do that? Nikolai Lanstov was a pain in the ass to deal with, but Kuwei’s been doing his homework for four years, why sabotage him now? He couldn’t think straight. He didn’t know who did this and everyone was watching. He felt his chest tighten as his breath became shaky. He needed to get off stage.

There was a soft clatter, and Kuwei turned to see Wylan holding a trumpet case from the band room. Kuwei twisted around in his bench, grabbing the case and opening it. He smiled nervously at the audience, trying to think of something he could do with a trumpet.

“Just play what we’re doing in band. You’ll be fine,” Wylan signed to him. Kuwei nodded slightly, and began to play.

When he finished, the audience clapped more enthusiastically than they did with Nikolai. Despite the slight euphoria, he bowed quickly before practically sprinting off stage, joining Wylan in the audience.

***

After the talent show, crowds of students surrounded the parking lot, getting into cars and driving away to who knew where. Kuwei got some claps on the back for his performance, which he quietly thanked them for. He put his trumpet back in the band room before joining Wylan at his car.

“There’s gonna be a party on Pine,” Wylan said as he started the car. “Someone asked me to go. Do you wanna come with me?”

Kuwei thought on it for a second. He’d never been to a party before--he wasn’t much for them. But Kuwei always wanted to experience what his peers did. He shrugged. “Sure. But only for, like, two hours. And little to no drinking.”

“Okay,” Wylan said. He drove out of the parking lot, following another classmate through town. They heard music blaring throughout the block before they even turned onto Pine. Bright lights flashed in the windows of the house, and people were spilling out on the lawn, screaming lyrics to some pop song Kuwei didn’t know.

When Wylan and Kuwei walked inside, people screamed even louder and clapped them both on the back. Dozens of people--or, at least, that’s what it felt like--complimented Kuwei on his performance. 

“Kuwei, your performance was great,” one person said. He vaguely recognized them from history--he thought their name was Archie. “Like, amazing! Where did you learn how to play the trumpet?”

“Freshmen year--band,” Kuwei replied awkwardly.

“That’s  _ really _ cool--Oh! Have you ever played Drinkers of Cataan?”

“No,” Kuwei said, but it came out more like a question.

“It’s like Settlers, but instead of…”

Then they were dragging him up the stairs, explaining how to play the game. Kuwei flashed a look at Wylan, whose eyes were wide. They both shrugged at each other before Wylan followed them, and they sat around the board.

* * *

_ This was a mistake, _ Wylan thought as he downed the fifth red solo cup of the night, letting out a loud burp. Kuwei had much more than that, but he couldn’t remember how much more. He stood up, stumbling towards Kuwei.

They helped each other walk down the stairs as Wylan called his sister, and they waited outside on the lawn for her. She drove by the house a few minutes later, got out of her car, and helped them inside.

“God, you look like shit, Wy,” Alys said as she got into the driver’s seat. “Are you going to get your car tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Who’s this?”

“A friend.”

“I’m Kuwei, nice to meet you,” Kuwei said.

“Nice to meet you, too.”

They drove through town, parking in front of their house. Alys helped Kuwei get inside as Wylan followed them.  Wylan saw the couch and immediately laid down face first.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” Wylan said, already falling asleep. “Kuwei can have my bed.”


	8. What a Sight For Sore Eyes

The next morning, Kuwei woke up in someone else’s bed. The first thought that crossed his mind was  _ What the hell did I do last night? _ But then he saw the music stand in the corner of the room, where a polished flute lay beside it. On a desk, he saw his bag and jacket. Posters of 80’s bands and singers hung on the wall. Kuwei could only think of one person in Belendt who still listened to David Bowie; religiously.  _ This must be Wylan’s room. _

He felt a migraine coming, his head throbbing the more he looked around. On the nightstand, Kuwei saw a glass of water and some medicine with a note.

_ Take this, you might need it. :)  _

_ \- Wylan _

_ Knew it. _ Kuwei groaned out of pain before downing the medicine. He heard two sets of footsteps carefully walking up stairs, and Alys’ voice echoed through the hall.

“You came at the right time--Dad’s on a business trip,” she was saying. “How did you and Wylan meet?”

“He’s in ASL. I’m the TA.”

_ Arjun _ . Kuwei spat out his water, throwing off the blankets and scrambling out of Wylan’s bed. He scrambled to the desk, carelessly throwing on his jacket, not bothering to sling his bag on his shoulder. He sprinted to the window, but then the door creaked open. He turned around.

Wylan’s sister stood in the doorway, her platinum hair tied back. He waved at her, and to his horror, he saw Arjun behind her, his expression unreadable. Kuwei internally cursed himself.

“Oh! Hi, Kuwei,” Alys greeted through gritted teeth.  Kuwei rolled with the fake shock she was portraying . “What’re you doing here?”

“Hi,” Kuwei replied. His gaze was locked on Arjun’s face. “Look, I… um… I wasn’t doing anythi--”

Alys’ phone buzzed, and when she checked it, her eyes widened. She started backing out of the room, her thumbs tapping rapidly on her phone. “Fuck, I’m sorry! I gotta go,” she said, running down the hallway. He heard someone’s voice on her phone. “Look, I know I’m late, Abi! I’ll meet you and Claire at Pine and Fifth, okay?”

Her bedroom door slammed shut, and she kept babbling, leaving Kuwei and Arjun alone. The morning light shone through the window, lighting up Arjun’s face.

“She’s annoying,” Arjun signed with an eye roll, letting out a sigh. Kuwei bit back a laugh. “She talks too fast.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Kuwei replied.

“You and Wylan were together?” Arjun asked, his brows raising on “together”.

“No!” Kuwei said, his sign sharp and stern. “He’s totally into you.”

“You know about us?”

“Yes, he... ah…” His eyes darted around the room for an excuse. He spotted a polaroid camera on one of Wylan’s shelves. “He wanted to borrow my camera. Said I could drop it off this morning since he’s at work--it was something for you. Because he likes you so much.”

Arjun raised a brow, incredulous. “For me?”

“Yes,” Kuwei said. Arjun smiled to himself, the same smile Kuwei saw in the diner. Arjun’s hand reached into his back pocket, pulling out a picture.

“I was going to give this to him,” Arjun said, handing him the photo. Kuwei took it gently--a hummingbird with metallic green feathers drank nectar from a red flower, its wings beating too rapidly for the camera. Kuwei felt the corner of his mouth quirk up. He handed the picture back to Arjun.

“I like the way light flashes on the green,” Kuwei said.

Arjun placed the picture on Wylan’s desk. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Kuwei fixed his jacket awkwardly. “I should go.”

Kuwei walked out of the room and jogged down the stairs. He passed by the kitchen and dining area when he heard Arjun follow him down the stairs, walking beside him. When they stepped out the front door, Kuwei saw a motorcycle parked on the driveway. Arjun walked over to it, grabbing his helmet out of the basket in the back.

_ He owns a motorcycle? _ Kuwei thought, his cheeks flushing.

“Do you need a ride?” Arjun asked after he secured his helmet.

Kuwei’s immediate thought was  _ I shouldn’t accept.  _ He looked down the long, windy road towards the pier.  _ But the walk would take hours. _ “Yeah. I live near the pier. On Rose Road.”

“Really? I was on my way there,” Arjun said before reaching into the basket and grabbing another helmet. He handed it to Kuwei.

“You live there?” Kuwei asked, raising his brows. He put the helmet on and began fiddling with the strap.

“No,” Arjun said. “There’s a spot I like to go to clear my mind. Need me to adjust that?”

Kuwei nodded. Arjun took a step towards him, grabbing the strap and adjusting the helmet. Kuwei looked up and, if he wasn’t in love with Arjun Bhakta, he would have regretted it--the way his brows were knitted together, and his lips slightly parted.

Kuwei wanted to kiss him. He wanted to do more than just kiss him. He wanted to go play skee-ball at the arcade; he wanted to hold his hand at the top of the cliffs while the sun set; he wanted to dance with him in the middle of the night when there was no moon, and all you could see were the stars lighting up the town.

“Better?” Arjun asked with a raise of his brows. Kuwei blinked and nodded again.

“Thanks,” he said. He followed Arjun to his bike and, after Arjun got on, he swung his leg over the seat, his arms wrapped around Arjun’s waist. Kuwei sucked in a breath.  _ Oh my God, I’m holding Arjun’s waist. _

The engine revved. Arjun drove into the street. Kuwei had the sudden thought that he was going to fall off, so he tightened his grip. They went through town and in between cars, passing by the school, the crystal shop on Pine street, the series of apartment buildings in the Rockaway part of town, until finally they turned onto Rose Road.

Kuwei pointed to his apartment complex, and Arjun stopped. They both got off the bike, and Kuwei returned the helmet. He started to walk up the stairs, but Arjun followed.

“What are you doing?” Kuwei asked.

“Dropping you off,” Arjun replied. Kuwei was about to sign “I understand”, but then Arjun added, “Do you want to come to that secret spot with me? It’s just off the pier.”

“Yes, I’d love to come with you,” Kuwei said a little too quickly, his signing reckless. “Could you wait out here? I don’t wanna freak out my dad.”

“Okay,” Arjun said. He walked back down the stairs.

Kuwei got to his apartment, gently opening the door and carefully closing it. His father was sprawled on the couch, snoring, and Kuwei let out a relieved sigh. He set down his bag and shook his father awake.

“Kuwei!” his father exclaimed, pulling him into a hug so strong his bones could’ve broke. “Where were you last night? Were you with Wylan?”

“Yeah, I was. I forgot to text you--I stayed the night. I have to go out again, for a bike ride. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Bo said. He released him. “Just… text me where you are, okay? Go get something to eat.”

Kuwei nodded. He changed his clothes and brushed his teeth, then toasted some bread. He gnawed on it while he jogged down the stairs to meet Arjun on the sidewalk. They walked along the pier, passing by a little cafe, the wind blowing salt into his nose.

They walked down a set of stairs that was lost to the sand, and Kuwei cringed as he felt the grains sink into his shoes. They continued walking, the waves crashing against the rocks and pillars of the pier. Kuwei shuddered.

Arjun got to the edge of a hill that was too dangerous to climb to the top of, then started to climb. Kuwei followed warily, clinging to the wall to make sure he wasn’t going to slip. They shimmied and jumped rock to rock, walking around the side.

Kuwei yelped as he lost his footing, gravity pulling him against the rocks. He scrambled for purchase, attempting to push himself to his feet, his palms stinging from the impact. He saw Arjun turn around. He carefully made his way back to Kuwei and grabbed his hand, helping him up and regain his balance.

“Are you okay?” Arjun asked, pointing sternly at Kuwei’s hands.

“Yeah,” Kuwei replied, but his hands were shaky. “I just don’t like the sea that much.” 

“I get that,” Arjun said. He urged Kuwei to follow him, and he did, carefully climbing around the side of the hill to a secluded area. Jagged grey and white rocks surrounded the area, but between the rocks he could see a cave.

Arjun climbed between two stones, helping Kuwei get through. To Kuwei’s left, he could see a little lake just big enough for two people, surrounded by more rocks. Ocean water seeped in through the big rocks with some of the waves. Around the rocks were hills and cliffs and dirt, with an array of wild flowers on top of the hills. It was utterly beautiful.

To Kuwei’s right, he saw a cave that didn’t look very deep, but saw that it led to a tunnel. He shuddered.

“Are we going in there?” Kuwei asked. Arjun shook his head and pointed to the lake. He put his jacket onto a rock at least ten feet away from the water, then took off his hearing aids, placing them on his jacket. He then grabbed the back of his shirt to pull it off. Kuwei swore his heart was pounding louder with every vertebra showing, revealing Arjun’s perfect posture--as graceful as a dancer, holding his head up high with dignity. Kuwei had the urge to run his hands along his shoulder blades.

_ I could look at your back all day, _ Kuwei thought as Arjun folded his shirt and placed it near his jacket, then turned to Kuwei. He felt his face heat, and he averted his gaze, a nervous giggle erupting from somewhere in his core.

“What types of rocks are these?” Kuwei asked, his brows raising on “what”.

“I don’t know,” Arjun said. He looked Kuwei up and down and grinned. “Join me in the water.”

“Can, uh… can you turn around?” Kuwei asked, his cheeks heating. Arjun nodded, and turned towards the water, facing away. Kuwei unzipped his jacket and pulled off his shirt, thankful he was already in shorts. He carefully slid into the water, and then tapped Arjun’s shoulder. He turned and smiled.

“I come here often,” Arjun said. “It’s like no one can reach us here.”

“It’s really pretty,” Kuwei said as a wave crashed against the rocks. “So how do you like Wylan?”

“He’s… confusing,” Arjun admitted. “When I’m with him, I feel… safe? He’s a really sweet guy. But then he writes these things like in our texts that feel… not safe.”

Kuwei tilted his head. “Not safe?” he asked.

Arjun’s grin faded, and Kuwei could tell he was struggling with finding the right words. “My parents want me taking over the family restaurant,” Arjun said, changing the subject. “But I don’t really want to. I love cooking, and I love my family, but I want to become a doctor. I want to help deaf children and adults and be a doctor for them. I want to be out there.”

Kuwei didn’t say anything. Arjun continued, “But my parents are so sure that I’ll be taking over… maybe that’s love? Sacrificing the things you want for what someone else wants? I don’t know--I should just take over the restaurant.”

“No,” Kuwei said. “You shouldn’t.”

“Then what  _ should _ I do?” Arjun asked. Kuwei shrugged. “I was feeling kind of lost at the beginning of this year. Wylan’s letter appeared in my locker, and I never felt so understood. It’s kind of dumb.”

“No, it’s not dumb,” Kuwei said. “It’s sweet.”

Arjun’s lips quirked into a smile. His hand formed a fist as he splashed some water into Kuwei’s face. He gasped before blindly trying to hit Arjun with a wall of water, but Arjun evaded the attack. He pushed himself off the rocks and tackled Arjun, and they both fell into the water. Kuwei reached the surface first as another wave crashed onto the rocks, and they both started wrestling.

Eventually Arjun chased Kuwei out of the lake, laughing, but caught him on the rocks to drag him back in. They were still laughing, and floating side by side in the lake. Kuwei’s feet were facing the ocean while Arjun’s were facing the cliffs. They stayed there for a while.

“Gravity is matter’s response to loneliness,” Kuwei said. He heard Arjun’s head turn, and he turned his head to face him.

“Who said that?” Arjun asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Then you said it.”

Kuwei smiled. A memory came to him--one of the few he had of his mom. She loved going to the beach, and would constantly bring him and his father, building sand castles and finding sand crabs, taking Kuwei to play in the waves. She taught him how to swim, and his father would hold contests between the two of them.

“My mom would’ve loved this place,” Kuwei signed. “She used to say that every single part of nature--the forest, air, fire, the ocean--had a piece of beauty to it, whether it be for one person or for everyone.”

“Is this beautiful?” Arjun asked, pointing to the jagged rocks keeping most of the waves at bay. 

“For you or for us?” A wave rushed over the rocks, seafoam seeping into their space, causing them to swirl a little. They both climbed onto the rocks. Arjun smiled.

“For us,” Arjun said when he sat down on the rocks. “Does your mom live with you and your dad?”

“No, she passed away,” Kuwei said. He shrugged. “I don’t believe in heaven. I don’t know where in the universe she is.”

“Well, I think your mom is in the stars,” Arjun said after a minute. “I think she became the brightest star, and she’s excited you get to see the world in all its elegance.”

Kuwei smiled, but didn’t say anything. They sat on the rocks watching the waves and the sun pass by.

***

After drying off and getting dressed, Arjun guided Kuwei back around the cliff. They walked back to Kuwei’s house, and Arjun got on his bike and drove home. Kuwei, dazed, climbed the stairs to his apartment and opened the door.

As soon as he walked inside, the smell of cooking food hit his nostrils, and his stomach growled. He kicked off his shoes and made a mental note to clean out the sand later. He walked into the kitchen to see his father and Wylan cooking dinner together.

“Hey, Kuwei,” Bo said, giving him a side hug. “Wylan came over with some sausages and tortillas and asked if we wanted to have something called taco sausages. I said sure.”

“Sounds good,” Kuwei said. He started walking to his room to change, but Wylan grabbed his arm.

“I have a recital in a week,” Wylan said. “That’s when the university will hear me play. I was wondering if you could come? I’m inviting Arjun as well.”

“Yeah, of course I’ll go. Now can I please change? My clothes got wet.”

“Oh, yeah! Go change.”

Kuwei walked into his room and changed into his third outfit that day. He was about to walk out the door when something on his desk caught his eye--his backpack, slightly open, a folder stuck out. He grabbed the folder and opened it, and saw it had an application form for Harvard University.

_ I should apply, _ Kuwei thought. He looked at his bedroom door and back to the folder.  _ But then I’d be leaving Dad. _

Kuwei was fine with staying in Belendt. He was okay here, making sure his father wasn’t too lonely. He was okay being stuck with doing Nikolai Lantsov’s homework. His father wouldn’t have anyone to be with if he went away. He was fine being stuck in Belendt, because that was love. He would stay for his father.

He put the folder down and walked out his bedroom.


	9. I Know Better than to Call You Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pain :')

Wylan and Alys were the last duo to go on stage. While Alys was putting on last minute makeup, he waited in anticipation, palms sweaty. He checked his phone.

**ARJUN 💞:**

You’re gonna do amazing today, babe. I love you. 💖💕

**ME** :

Thanks. I love you, too.💞💞

Then he checked his texts from Kuwei.

**KUWEI** :

break a leg, idiot

**ME** :

i’ll break all 3 of my legs

**KUWEI** :

u have 2 legs

**ME** :

that’s the joke

**KUWEI** :

🙄

The recital host, Rowan, walked into the green room. They led him and Alys to the edge of the stage, where they waited for the violinist to finish. When she did, the lights went down, and Rowan walked onto the stage.

“And now, last but certainly not least,” they said, “Wylan and Alys Van Eck performing  _ Dance of the Blessed Spirits _ by Christopher Willibald Gluck.”

The audience clapped, and two spotlights shined on the stage. He helped Alys carry her harp onto the stage before going backstage to retrieve his own instrument. The spotlight waited for him like a hungry monster. He took a quick glance at the audience, making sure that Arjun and Kuwei were there, watching him. 

The flute felt unusually heavy as he lifted it to his lips. Thankfully, it was polished, but he could feel the fingerprints from late nights of letting the music take over his mind, washing away the world.

His hands and fingers were in place, waiting for his breath. He took a second, maybe two, to gather his thoughts. He looked at the music stand, the language of song easing his stress. He just needed to let his fingers dance. He just needed to  _ breathe _ .

He nodded to Alys. They started playing.

***

After bows and meeting the music agents from Ketterdam, Wylan wandered around the shiny music hall in search of Arjun or Kuwei. He passed by a vending machine in a little hallway leading to the bathrooms. Kuwei was punching a number into the keypad.

“Hey, Kuwei,” Wylan said. “How’d you like my piece?”

“Hey, Wy. You were great,” Kuwei said as he got the bottle out of the machine. “Arjun looked very impressed.”

“Really?” Wylan said, feeling his cheeks flush. “Thanks, though. I really needed support today.”

“No problem.” Kuwei uncapped the water bottle and took a sip as they started walking out of the hallway and into the music hall. “So how are you and--”

Someone bumped into Kuwei, who knocked into Wylan. He was quick to grab Kuwei, his arm on Kuwei’s waist. They stumbled into the wall as water spilled onto the floor.

“Are you okay?” Wylan asked.

“Yeah, I’m just--oh  _ shit _ .”

Wylan followed Kuwei’s gaze. Arjun stood a few yards from them, at the entrance to the bathroom, his expression unreadable. Kuwei pushed himself away from Wylan.

“What is going on?” Arjun asked, his signs big and sharp with anger. “What were you doing?”

“It’s not what it looks like,” Kuwei tried to explain, his signs small.

“We weren’t doing anything,” Wylan added on, but Arjun seemed too angry to care. He pointed to Kuwei.

“You lied to me,” he said, his brows furrowed together. His fist slammed into his chest. “I should’ve known. You told me Wylan liked me, but I saw the way his fucking bed looked that morning. You then pretended to be my friend and hang out with me? How  _ dare _ you?” Arjun pointed at Wylan. His signs became faster and ungainly. “And as for  _ you _ \--You also lied to me. You told me all these things and claimed you loved me, and then you turned around and fucking cheated on me? Goodbye, Wylan.”

With that, Arjun stormed off, and both Kuwei and Wylan jogged after him, but Arjun ignored them. He got on his bike and drove away. Wylan felt tears prick his eyes.

“Fuck,” Kuwei cursed, his voice shaky. Wylan saw him wipe his face. “ _ Fuck _ ! Everything was perfect. I was just fine with this and now that fucking jackass just  _ had _ to fucking run into us and Arjun just  _ had _ to turn the fucking corner--! God  _ damnit _ !”

Wylan opened his mouth but his question was forgotten as Kuwei kicked a rock. He snapped his jaw shut, and then the realization dawned on him. That day when he and Kuwei were talking about Arjun, Kuwei had said so many things about him. He’d wanted to help Wylan and even said he didn’t need the money Wylan was going to give him. Kuwei did it because he was in love with Arjun.

“You like Arjun, don’t you?” Wylan asked. Kuwei’s shoulders bunched, and he turned to him, tears running down his face. Wylan also felt his cheeks grow wet. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Kuwei said.

“You should’ve told me!” Wylan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wouldn’t have--I… I wouldn’t have made you-- _ shit _ !”

“I didn’t want to ruin whatever semblance of a friendship we had.” 

“Neither did I!” Wylan seethed. He leaned against the car, his shoulders shaking. He took a deep breath. “Look, Kuwei, I don’t want to argue with you. I want to be your friend. I’m mad at myself and mad at you--I think it’s better that we don’t talk for a few days.”

“Okay,” Kuwei said after a minute.

“Bye.” Wylan got into his car, anger and dejection running through his body. He kept himself from sobbing as his father drove him and Alys home, talking on and on about the agents from Ketterdam.

When he got home, he changed out of his tux and into his pajamas. He put on David Bowie, letting the music drown out his misery. He thought better of texting Arjun. He was rightfully angry. Wylan should just leave him alone.

_ I’m a fucking idiot. _

* * *

Kuwei opened the door to his apartment, unable to form a fake smile. His father sat on the couch, his leg propped on the table. In his lap was a plate with a sausage wrapped in a tortilla. He was watching  _ Casablanca _ .

“Hey, Kuwei,” his father greeted in Mandarin. “We have leftover taco sausages in the freezer.”

“Thanks,” Kuwei grumbled. He went to his room and shut the door. He didn’t bother changing clothes. He didn’t bother doing anything. He just crumpled into his bed, the shards of his heart digging into his soul.


	10. Life's a Dream I'd Rather Wake From

When Arjun got home from the music hall, he was too angry to talk. His neighbor, Archie, waved at him, but he blew them off. He didn’t even bother greeting his parents. He walked up the stairs to their apartment, slamming his bedroom door shut. Why did Wylan do that? Why did he lie to him?  _ How could he lie to me? _

Arjun took the pictures he and Wylan had traded from his desk. He looked through every single memory they shared--from the first date at the diner, to the polaroids on the cliffs. Everything. Why didn’t Wylan just  _ talk _ to him?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his bedroom door open. Sathya walked inside and gently shut the door. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“No.” The sign was sharp as a knife. “I’m angry.”

“What happened?”

He looked at the pictures again, then tossed them on the desk. He beckoned Sathya to sit next to him on his bed.

“I caught Wylan cheating,” he said. “He fucking cheated on me.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “I’m so sorry,” she said.

“It’s fine, I’ll get over it.”

“No, it’s not okay,” Sathya corrected. “Wylan’s a dumbass bitch. If he can’t respect someone he shouldn’t be dating them.”

“I guess you’re right,” Arjun said.

“Of course I am,” Sathya huffed. Arjun rolled his eyes.  _ Little sisters _ . “Anyway, Baba wants you downstairs for dinner.”

“I’ll be down later.” Arjun said, letting out an annoyed sigh. Sathya laughed a little but left him alone. He laid down and faced the wall, hugging himself in an attempt to make himself feel better. 

He thought about Kuwei, that day when he showed him that spot between the cliffs. Kuwei had been shy, but Arjun saw a different side to him than what he’d seen at school--at school, Kuwei was quiet, cold, and quick to get work done.

But at that little cove, Arjun found that Kuwei was a funny guy. He was sassy, sarcastic and witty. It was clear to Arjun that Kuwei liked to have fun and liked hanging out with people.

Arjun may have liked Kuwei. He didn’t know when he’d started liking him--maybe it was before he and Wylan started dating. Maybe it was after. He thought Kuwei had liked him back, but it was clear that Kuwei didn’t feel the same way.

_ Stop thinking about him, _ Arjun chastised. Wallowing in what could have been wouldn’t get him anywhere. He pushed himself off his bed and out of his room, going downstairs to eat dinner.

Dinner consisted of dosa with sambar and chutney. He kept his mind off Wylan and Kuwei by talking about the family business. He teased Tvarita about her crush on a boy in her class. They played charades, and after dinner Sathya and Tvarita made him play video games with them, showing off islands they’ve been decorating over the past month or so.

* * *

At school, Wylan tried bringing himself to talk to Arjun, but every time he got the chance, he couldn’t do it. Wylan could tell he was still angry, and didn’t even give him a glance in the halls. 

Whenever Wylan saw Kuwei, he felt the urge to turn around and walk away. Sometimes, he did run away--it was too soon, he still felt strange talking to him. He regretted telling Kuwei that he didn’t want to be friends for a few days. It’d been two weeks and they still hadn’t talked.

During the weekend, he found a book that belonged to Kuwei in his room.  _ Finally, I can text him about something. _

**ME** :

Hey, I have a book you left at my house. Mind if I drop it off at yours?

**KUWEI** :

I won’t be there, but my dad will.

Wylan tucked his phone into his back pocket. He grabbed his keys and dragged himself to his car, then slowly drove to Kuwei’s apartment. His bike was gone. Wylan frowned. He jogged up the stairs and knocked. WhenBo opened the door, his eyes lit up.

“Hey, Wylan,” Bo said, letting him inside.

“Hi, I was just here to drop off a book Kuwei left at my house.”

He handed the book to Bo, and he was about to walk out, but Bo stopped him. He beckoned him inside, and Wylan toed off his shoes before following him. They sat on the couch, and Wylan noticed the corners of Bo’s mouth tugging into a deep frown.

“Kuwei hasn’t been eating much lately,” Bo began. “He doesn’t talk to me much anymore, and I haven’t seen you around lately. There’s this disconnect and extreme unhappiness from him. I’m worried, so I was wondering if you and Kuwei… what’s the word--broke up?”

Wylan blushed and looked down. “No, we were never together. I don’t think either of us really see who Kuwei could be.”

Bo let out a breath, leaning on his arm. “When Kuwei’s mom died, I got extremely unhappy. I felt this darkness surround me at every turn. I didn’t do much for weeks. Some days I didn’t even get out of bed. I remember Kuwei had to drag me out of bed on those days, and he started doing homework for other children. He was thirteen at the time and… he was a saving grace. Ever since, it’s just been the two of us navigating the world together.”

Wylan was silent. He felt like crying. Kuwei had been on his own for so long, with no friends to express his feelings with, and Wylan just left him. He thought back on when he and Kuwei challenged each other on the subject of love. Wylan believed that love was strictly romantic. He never knew someone could love another person as their best friend.

He loved Kuwei Yul-Bo like how a clef note loved the staff bars. He knew that they were fated to be friends, that they were woven into each other’s stories. Wylan wouldn’t let their friendship be severed by something the universe shoved into their path. He had to apologize.

***

The next school day, Wylan waited until after band to talk to Kuwei, mulling over what he wanted to say and how he should say it. He could tell something was eating at Kuwei--he looked like death. When they packed their instruments and bags, Wylan grabbed Kuwei’s arm.

“Hey, can we talk?” he asked.

“Yeah, we can talk,” Kuwei said, adjusting his shoulder strap. “Let’s walk to my bike.”

“Okay,” Wylan said. They started walking. “So, I just want to say that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stopped talking to you, especially when you needed someone to lean on. That’s a shitty thing for a friend to do.”

Kuwei was silent as he unlocked his bike. He let out a long sigh. “It’s okay,” he said finally. “I really missed you, you know.”

“I did, too,” Wylan said. “I promise I won’t get in the way of you and Arjun, too.”

Kuwei barked a laugh. “I don’t think  _ that _ will happen anytime soon.” 

Wylan laughed as well. “Maybe. I still need to talk to him.”

“Me, too,” Kuwei admitted. “We’ll hang out soon, okay?”

“Of course.” Wylan raised his fist for Kuwei to bump, but Kuwei swatted his hand away and pulled him into a hug. 

“Thanks, Wy,” Kuwei said. “You’re a really great friend.”

“Duh.” Wylan hugged back. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Send me memes.”

* * *

When Kuwei got home, he locked his bike and dropped off his backpack. His father wasn’t home yet, so he did his usual business of making sure his chores were done and making sure he had everything ready for his homework session. He heard a motorcycle engine rev, and his heart jumped. He looked outside to see Arjun taking off his helmet, locking his bike then walking towards the pier.

_ Go, _ a voice inside him said. He followed his gut, locking his front door and sprinting down the stairs. He leaned over the bars that kept pedestrians from falling into the rocks, searching the beach for Arjun. He spotted him along the shore, disappearing behind the hill’s side. 

Kuwei climbed over the side of the bars and onto the sand, landing hard on his hands and knees. He pushed himself to his feet and sprinted along the beach, quickly making his way around the hill, facing the cove.

Arjun’s back was to him, and he was sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees. Kuwei carefully climbed between the rocks to join him; Arjun turned his head. He frowned.

“Don’t leave,” Kuwei signed. “Please. I just want to talk.”

“Talk,” Arjun said, the sign sharp.

“Remember what you said about love?” Kuwei asked after a minute. “Where you sacrifice what you want for the ones you love? I didn’t respond, so I thought I would now, if that’s okay.” Arjun nodded. Kuwei sat down across from him. “Love is… messy. And horrible. Selfish. Bold. It’s the willingness to ruin a good picture for a better one.”

Arjun and Kuwei looked at each other, the waves crashing behind them. Arjun didn’t say anything.

“Capture the moment before it becomes a memory,” he finished, quoting what he’d written so long ago.

Kuwei could see the realization dawn on Arjun. His eyes widened, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. He pointed to Kuwei. “ _ You _ ,” he said. “You wrote the letters.”

“Yeah,” Kuwei confirmed. “I wrote the letters.”

A series of emotions Kuwei couldn’t identify flashed across Arjun’s face, making him unreadable. He put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking. Kuwei reached out to touch him, but Arjun flinched.

Without a word, Arjun pushed himself to his feet, climbing over the rocks. Kuwei waited until he heard the echoing rev of the motorcycle’s engine before he climbed around the hill and walked home.

He decided that he wouldn’t think about Arjun too much. At least, for now. He got his best friend back, and that was enough. If Arjun chose to forgive them, then that was fine. If he didn’t, Kuwei understood.

He finished doing his chores, getting the kitchen ready for dinner. When his father came home, he greeted Kuwei enthusiastically. He turned on the TV, flipping through the channels, finding  _ West Side Story _ . Dinner took a bit longer to cook than usual, so they only got to sitting down towards the last thirty minutes of the movie.

“I saw that application form,” his father said, taking a bite of his dinner. “For Harvard.”

“Yeah,” Kuwei muttered, internally cursing. He didn’t want him to see that. “You know, I wasn’t thinking of actually--”

“I want you to go,” his father said. “We didn’t come here for you to become a shut-in. We came here so you could see nature in all its beauty. It’s what your mom would’ve wanted.”

Kuwei pursed his lips, trying to keep himself from crying. His mom would have definitely wanted this. She would have loved to see Kuwei grow up, to send him off like a little bird from its nest.

“Yeah, Mom would want that,” he said finally. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too.”


	11. Cosmic Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are. I want to start this off with how thankful I am that I was able to write this. Like Kuwei, I struggled a lot in high school socially, especially in my senior year, and although this is heavily based on the movie The Half of It, I really found this story to be empowering both for me and someone else, hopefully.
> 
> I also find this very fitting, as (spoiler alert) today I'm heading off to college, and so is Kuwei. I'm so proud to have written this.
> 
> And again, I would like to thank my gang--Alex, Archie, Ri, Claire, Sidney, Rowan, and Abi--for helping bring this fic to life and keeping me focused. I love you guys so much. Kick ass!
> 
> Without further ado, here is the final chapter of "Love".

About a week later, Wylan told Kuwei he talked with Arjun. According to him, the talk went okay--Wylan apologized for making Arjun fall in love with someone he wasn’t, and Arjun apologized for accusing him of something he didn’t do. They agreed that being friends could be an option in the far, far future.

Over a month passed. Kuwei wasn’t talking to Arjun. He guessed that Arjun had every right to be angry at him, but he wanted things to go back to some semblance of the way they were. He decided that he had to make things right.

_ Go to the restaurant. _

When he walked inside, a waiter greeted him, and on their nametag he read ‘Sidney’.

“Um, Arjun’s working, right?” he asked them. “I need to talk to him.”

“Yeah,” they answered. “He’ll be on break soon. I can get him for you.”

“Thanks.” Sidney walked to the back of the restaurant, and a few minutes later came back with Arjun. Kuwei waved and took a step outside. Arjun guided him to the side of the building, where Kuwei’s bike leaned against the wall. “So, we haven’t talked in a while.”

“I’ve been busy,” Arjun replied. “Studying hard for med school.”

“You’re not taking over the restaurant?” Kuwei asked. He grinned. “That’s great!”

“Thanks,” Arjun said unenthusiastically. He sighed. “What about you?”

“I got accepted to Harvard,” Kuwei said. “I’m leaving in a few--” 

“That’s great, bye,” Arjun interrupted. He turned on his heel to go back into the restaurant, but Kuwei ran after him, getting in front of him.

“Look, I’m sorry. It was just supposed to be one letter. I never meant to hurt you.”

Arjun rubbed the back of his neck and sighed again. “I should’ve known. You really didn’t use enough emojis,” he said. Then, “For what it’s worth, it’s not like the thought never crossed my mind, y’know--if things were different.”

Kuwei scoffed. “They could never be different. The universe planned these things.”

“How can  _ you _ be so sure?” Arjun asked, his cheeks flushing. Kuwei smiled. “You’re never sure of anything.”

“I can be sure!” Kuwei laughed.

“Find something good in Connecticut,” Arjun said with a small laugh. “Something you’re sure of.”

Kuwei nodded, grabbing his bike, preparing to leap on it and pedal away. He saw Arjun start walking into the restaurant, and something inside him told him to--

_ Stop _ . Kuwei put his foot down, realizing his hands felt sweaty. He had a thought, a daring thought, that was completely out of character.  _ I shouldn’t--I can--I can’t. _

This year was a lot of firsts for Kuwei. First love, first friend. First party, first time hanging out with someone who really understood him. First time being with his dad in a long time. He thought he might as well add another to the list. 

He let go of the handlebars of his bike, wiped his palms on his pants, and turned around. Letting the bike fall to its side, he ran to Arjun, cupping his face with his hands. He looked into his eyes, his beautiful, galaxy-filled, widened eyes, and kissed him.

It was as if time could finally stop--he could stop worrying about his father, stop worrying about the future, stop worrying what others would think of him because of things he couldn’t change. It was a comet that came shooting out of the sky like a firework, giving him hope. That’s what it felt like being with Arjun Bhakta. That’s what it felt like whenever Arjun looked his way, touched his hand to his, made a joke, and that’s how it felt now, with Arjun’s lips on his.

Kuwei pulled away from him and walked back to his bike. He looked back at Arjun as he picked it up, mounting it. Arjun looked slightly dazed, but his face was flushed, and he smiled. 

“See you in a year or so,” Kuwei signed. His heart thumped with every hand gesture.

“See you then,” Arjun replied. He raised his fists to his heart, crossing his wrists and bouncing off his chest once. Kuwei’s heart could have burst out of his chest if it wasn’t for his own ribs. It was sign language for “love” _. _

***

A few weeks later, Kuwei stood at the front of the Ketterdam Airport, his bags packed to the brim, Wylan and his father standing next to him. Wylan drove the both of them, and he stood on the passenger side. Bo stood with Kuwei’s backpack in his hand.

“I can’t believe I’m leaving,” Kuwei said. He turned to his father. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Bo said, his voice shaky. He laid his hand on his son’s shoulder. “You’re going to be okay, too. This is what your mother would have wanted. I can’t wait to see what you do in the future, Kuwei.”

Kuwei pulled his father into an embrace, and his father shook with sobs. Kuwei tried to keep in his own tears--one had to stay strong.

He let go of his father and turned to Wylan. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked him. “You know, with your dad--”

“I’ll be fine,” Wylan said. “I’m going to community college here and staying with my mom. Don’t worry about me. Have fun in Connecticut.”

Kuwei grinned, trapping Wylan into a hug. “Thank you. For everything. Driving me here, being my friend… everything.”

“Of course,” Wylan said, returning the hug. “Thank you, too. I couldn’t have asked for a better best friend.”

Kuwei’s grin spread wider, and he would have liked to speak to Wylan longer, talk to his dad longer, but he had a plane to catch. He let Wylan go, grabbed his suitcase and backpack, waved them goodbye, and took his first steps inside the airport. He looked back for the car, but it was gone.

After navigating his way through the crowd, getting through security, getting at least one snack, and maybe getting lost, he finally reached the terminal. He waited, seeing nonstop texts from his father and replying to each and every one. Wylan texted him, too.

As soon as Kuwei got on the plane and sat down in the window seat, he buckled his seatbelt. After waiting for a while, making small talk with the people near him, the plane circled its course, and took off with a  _ whoosh _ . Kuwei clenched his eyes as his stomach turned to twisted steel from nervousness, but when he didn’t wake up in his bed, he realized that this wasn’t a dream. 

He opened his eyes and looked out the window, seeing his town far below. Kuwei could see his school, the diner, his apartment, the parks, the abandoned school, everything. Most of his childhood was there, woven into the walls of Belendt, and it hurt to leave. It hurt to leave his first and only friend, his father, and his life. 

He didn’t realize he had started crying until now, and he didn’t know if it was out of sadness or out of happiness. He let the tears flow, not really caring if anyone saw him or how red his face was going to look. 

Centuries ago, a Greek philosopher created a theory that every human has an other half, their true love, and that they spend their whole lives looking for that other half. 

That theory is both wrong and correct. Everyone has an other half, but it is in no way strictly romantic. Kuwei Yul-Bo rekindled his familial relationship, he found his first platonic love, and experienced romance for the first time. All in one year, at full force, and in every way he found his other half.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, give a kudos, leave a comment, and check out my tumblr (wybiegowritey)! I also implore that you visit my gang's tumblrs, which again, are: 
> 
> tessavioletandchill, riena-94, clearlynotclaire, blue-artisces, starw1sh, protec-kuwei-yul-bo, and makotonomonogatari !!


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